Iraq Death Toll Falls Sharply in June: Ministries
BAGHDAD (AFP) -- The number of Iraqis killed in violence fell sharply year-on-year in June, figures released on Wednesday showed, with a slight fall in deaths from last month also recorded.
Overall, 284 people -- 204 civilians, 50 police and 30 soldiers -- died in June, the health, defence and interior ministries in Baghdad told AFP.
The figure was one third less than the 437 people who died last June, when bombings in the lead-up to the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq's towns and cities resulted in the bloodiest death toll seen in Iraq in 11 months.
The number of people killed in June was also less than in May, when 337 civilians, police and soldiers died in violence in what was the deadliest month for civilians -- 275 -- in the conflict-wracked country so far this year.
A total of 610 people were wounded in June, according to ministry figures, also less than last month when 718 were injured.
Attacks on two Baghdad banks -- which killed 26 and 18 people respectively -- were the worst seen in the country in the past 30 days.
The worst of those attacks saw suicide bombers in two cars blow themselves up simultaneously outside the Trade Bank of Iraq's Baghdad branch on June 20.
The Trade Bank is the conduit for much of the government's foreign exchange transactions and its dealings with international investors.
A total of nine US soldiers died last month, bringing to 4,409 the total killed since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein, according to an AFP tally based on the independent website www.icasualties.org.
US and Iraqi officials have warned of the dangers of an upsurge of violence if negotiations on forming a new governing coalition drag on too long, giving insurgent groups an opportunity to further destabilise the country.
Almost four months after a general election which gave no single bloc an overall parliamentary majority, the two lists which won most seats are still bickering over who should be the next prime minister.
Both former premier Iyad Allawi and incumbent Nuri al-Maliki insist that they are best placed to tackle the war-torn country's insecurity and shaky public services.