Report: Suicide bombings up 50% and more lethal

A man rushes his wounded child to a hospital today following a suicide bombing in Kirkuk which killed at least 12 and wounded 150, including many children at a nearby school.

Suicide bombings against civilians in Iraq have increased dramatically since the start of the year and are deadlier than ever, a Middle East think tank said in a report Monday.

The study by the Gulf Research Center found 92 confirmed suicide attacks against "soft" civilian targets in February and March compared with 62 in the last two months of 2006.

"Since January they have sustained the highest level of suicide attacks since 2005, and higher casualty rates than at any period of the war," said Nicole Stracke, the report's editor.

Read the rest at the International Herald Tribune

Related Link:
Iraq civilian deaths up in March despite crackdown

Related Link:
Report: U.S. casualties during March twice that of Iraqi forces

Related Link:
General Barbero: Suicide attacks, car bombings up 30% since security crackdown; Another child used in bombing

Related Link:
Pentagon Report: Attacks in 2007 at record high

Related Link:
Pentagon Report: Some Iraq violence constitutes 'civil war'; Last 3 months of 2006 most violent of war

Related Link:
DOD Intelligence Director Maples: Attacks on forces match record high in January