WASHINGTON, April 18 (Xinhuanet) -- The US State Department said on Monday that it has decided not to publish annually statistics of terror incidents around the world, and the statistical work will be taken over by the National Counterterrorism Center.

    "The government has decided that the National Counterterrorism Center should compile and publish the statistical data on terrorism that has previously been included by the State Department in our report," said State Department spokesman Richard Boucher.

    The National Counterterrorism Center was established by the Congress last year.

    The State Department would release its annual assessment reporton terrorism this year, and the statistics would be handled by thecenter.

    "That report is due to Congress by April 30, and we will do that this year," he said.

    The State Department reported a decline in major terror incidents in its annual report last year, and the figures had bee nused by US officials as proof that the United States was winning the war on terrorism.

    The department, however, had to issue a corrected version later which showed an increase in major terror incidents instead. Enditem