The Iraqi government released its August casualty figures. Officials tallied only 164 deaths during the month, or about half as many as the 325 reported killed in July. The August count, despite being considerably lower, is still higher than June’s tally of 131 killed.
During August, Antiwar.com compiled 511 deaths. Among the several sources used was Agence France Presse. AFP counted a total of 276 deaths and noted that their tallies have held steady over the last three months. The Antiwar.com totals show a similar trend. In July, 545 deaths were noted, while in June the tally was 544 killed.
Meanwhile, at least 12 Iraqis were killed and 18 more were wounded in attacks that occurred over the last two days.
In Baghdad yesterday, two worshippers were shot dead as they walked home from Friday prayer services yesterday. A cleric was wounded and his driver was killed in a separate shooting. Gunmen killed a cleric walking home from prayer services. Late Saturday, a bomb in al-Shurta al-Rabeaa left two dead and 11 wounded near a café.
In Mosul, a bomb killed a civilian and wounded two others. Gunmen killed a policeman.
Today, knife-wielding insurgents stormed a judge’s home in Basra, where they killed him and wounded his wife.
In Baquba, gunmen killed a civilian and wounded a soldier in separate incidents.
A police officer was shot to death in Garma.
On Friday, gunmen killed a man employed at a Kut library.
Two soldiers were wounded when a bomb exploded in Muqdadiya today.
A policeman was kidnapped in Shurqat.
