Iraq civilian deaths up in March despite crackdown

Bodies of victims of violence are seen on the floor of a hospital morgue in Kirkuk today. The official figures are often lower than individual counts at hospitals and morgues indicate. Those killed as 'insurgents' aren't included in the figures.

Violence in Iraq killed 1,861 civilians in March, a 13 percent increase from the previous month and despite a major security crackdown in Baghdad, Iraqi government tallies showed on Sunday.

The number of civilian deaths in February was 1,645.

The figures were compiled by the interior, defence and health ministries and obtained by Reuters.

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