Turkey claims to have killed 25 Kurdish rebels and wounded 23 more during June 24 strikes in the Qandil Mountains of Iraq. Meanwhile, at least 10 Iraqis were killed and 16 more were wounded in new violence.

As the Iraqi government released its casualty figures for June, July opened with light but continued violence. Despite an obvious surge in deaths, the government said one less person died in June than in May. Today, though, at least five Iraqis were killed and five more were wounded.

At least 20 people were killed in Iraq today, bringing the total number of violent deaths in June to 544. Several factors likely contributed to this surge in bloodshed, not the least of which was Iraq’s precarious political situation. Another 20 people were wounded.

This month’s surge in bloodshed continued today without respite. At least 14 people were killed and 60 others were wounded.

At least 38 people were killed and 146 more were wounded in attacks across the country. As usual insurgents focused on security forces and government locations. A surge in violence that has taken place in recent weeks seemed to target Shi’ites, but today’s attacks took place in Sunni neighborhoods as well.

In a statement on his website, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki criticized opposition parties for refusing to negotiate with him to solve the current political crisis and warned that the only resolution for this would be to dissolve parliament and call early elections. Parliament quickly issued a statement asserting itself as the highest authority above even Maliki.Meanwhile, the surge in violence that many blame on the political tensions continues. At least 21 Iraqis were killed and 25 more were wounded:

Responding to international condemnation and accusations of political censorship, the Iraqi government has backed off on plans to shutter 44 media outlets. Meanwhile, at least three Iraqis were killed and 19 more were wounded in new violence.

What began as a quiet day changed late in the evening when a bomb left dozens of teenagers killed or wounded at a soccer field in Hilla. Although less deadly, Turkish shelling, which left one Iraqi civilian wounded, could be more troubling politically.. Overall, at least 19 Iraqis were killed and 41 more were wounded in the attacks.

An Iraqi group monitoring violations against journalists warned of a new government decree that could force the shutting of 44 media agencies, including the BBC and Voice of America outlets. The Journalistic Freedoms Observatory obtained a document purportedly sent by the Communications and Media Commission to the Interior Ministry. At least 14 Iraqis were killed and eight more were wounded in new violence.

Turkey continued shelling border areas in Iraqi Kurdistan. No casualties or damages were yet reported, but the artillery fire panicked the area’s residents. Separately, Parliament Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi’s weeklong criticism of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki earned him a request for dismissal from Maliki’s State of Law party. And, at least two Iraqis were killed and eight more were wounded in light violence.