November 01, 2007

Iraqi Civilian Death Toll Drops

The number of civilian deaths in the war in Iraq fell again last month, hitting a new low for the year. Exact counts vary, but according to figures from the Iraqi Health Ministry, 758 civilians were killed in October compared with a high of 2,076 in January.

Military fatalities also dropped down to 36, about half of September's figure and the lowest since March 2006.

Officials are giving credit to multiple sources for the decrease in casualties. One is the U.S. military surge, implemented last summer, which flooded Iraq with about 30,000 more American troops. Another is more success from Iraqi security forces in quelling insurgents and militia groups.

The Los Angeles Times posits some darker reasons, too. Sectarian segregation is growing, with once-mixed neighborhoods now fully Sunni or Shiite, so opportunities for violence are decreasing. Baghdad is also emptying out, with scared civilians fleeing the sectarian violence. About 2.25 million are internally displaced within Iraq and 2 million more have left the country, the Times reports, and the refugee crisis doesn't show signs of abating.

Posted at 9:00 AM
Posted to: Iraq, Middle East
Share via