1,809 Iraqi civilians, 79 U.S. troops killed in August

Above: Two funerals this week, taking place two days and half a world apart. The AP count of Iraqi dead is at best an estimatge, as the Iraqi government has stopped releasing figures.

Civilian deaths rose slightly in August as a huge suicide attack in the north two weeks ago offset security gains elsewhere, making it the second deadliest month for Iraqis since the U.S. troop buildup began, according to figures compiled Saturday by The Associated Press.

U.S. deaths remained well below figures from last winter when the U.S began dispatching 30,000 additional troops to Iraq.

At least 1,809 civilians were killed in the month, compared to 1,760 in July, based on figures compiled by the AP from official Iraqi reports. That brings to 27,564 the number of Iraqi civilians killed since AP began collecting data on April 28, 2005.

The August total included 520 people killed in quadruple suicide bombings on Yazidi communities near the Syrian border. The horrific attacks made Aug. 14 the single deadliest day since the war began in March 2003.

Eighty-five coalition troops - 81 American and four British - died in August, down from 88 the month before, including 79 Americans.

Read the rest at the Guardian

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