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Iraqi death toll climbs sharply | Iraqi death toll climbs sharply |
(about 3 hours later) | |
The monthly figure of people killed in Iraq rose by 50% in March compared with the previous month, according to official government counts. | |
A total of 1,082 Iraqis, including 925 non-combatant civilians, were killed, up from 721 in February. | |
The figures come from the combined counts of the health, defence and interior ministries. | |
March also saw an increase in bombings and intense fighting between Shia militiamen and government forces. | March also saw an increase in bombings and intense fighting between Shia militiamen and government forces. |
The number of deaths last month seems to confirm a trend of rising deaths due to violence. | The number of deaths last month seems to confirm a trend of rising deaths due to violence. |
More than 1,800 people were killed in August 2007. This declined to 540 in January 2008, but the figure has risen steadily since. | |
Although most victims appear to have been civilians, the rise in death rates among Iraqi troops and police was comparatively higher. | |
One hundred and two policemen and 54 soldiers were killed, compared with 65 and 20 respectively in February. The government says 641 suspected insurgents were killed. | |
Correspondents say the figures will be a blow to the Baghdad government and the US, which had claimed overall levels of violence had been reduced by last year's US troop surge. | |
Hundreds of people died in fighting last week in the southern city of Basra after Prime Minister Nouri Maliki ordered a crackdown on Shia militias. | |
Reports say many of the dead were civilians caught in the crossfire. | |
The spiritual leader of the Mehdi Army militia, Moqtada Sadr, has ordered his fighters off the streets in a deal with the authorities, who agreed to stop rounding them up. | |
Mr Maliki hailed the crackdown as a "success" and pledged to recruit 10,000 extra troops to keep order in Basra. |
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