As U.S. troops prepare to leave Iraq by the end of the year, the figures show a Sunni insurgency and attacks by Shi'ite militias are taking a serious toll despite violence falling sharply since a peak after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

President Barack Obama declared an end to combat in Iraq on August 31, 2010 and said "extremists will continue to set off bombs, attack Iraqi civilians and try to spark sectarian strife. But ultimately these terrorists will fail to achieve their goals."

Iraqi Health Ministry statistics indicate 1,604 civilians were killed in violence in the last year.

The toll for August reached 155. Attacks last month included an August 28 suicide bombing at an important Sunni mosque that killed 32 and a series of coordinated assaults on August 15 when at least 60 people died.

The 12-month period saw 588 Iraqi police and 418 soldiers killed, including 45 police and 39 soldiers in August alone, according to figures from the interior and defense ministries.

Global Arab Network

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