BAGHDAD, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- The death toll among Iraqis from violence in August sharply decreased compared to the previous month, according to figures released on Saturday.
A total of 164 Iraqis, 90 civilians, 35 policemen and 39 soldiers, died in attacks last month, data compiled by the health, interior and defense ministries showed.
The latest toll showed that the number of people killed in attacks across the country is nearly half of that in July when the authorities put the toll at 325 killed, including 241 civilians, 40 policemen and 44 soldiers.
Another 260 Iraqis were wounded in August, including 120 civilians, 80 policemen and 60 soldiers, the figures showed.
However, the government figures showed that July saw 697 Iraqis wounded by attacks during the month, much higher than the number in August.
On July 22, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the top leader of the self- styled Islamic State of Iraq, an al-Qaida front in the country, announced a plan named "Breaking the walls" aimed at releasing Qaida prisoners and targeting the country's judges and investigators, as well as returning to the previous al-Qaida strongholds that had been evacuated.
"We are starting a new stage of our struggle with a plan named (breaking the walls)," said an audio massage purportedly made by al-Baghdadi.
Violence in Iraq has ebbed from its climax in 2006 and 2007 when sectarian conflicts pushed the country to the brink of a civil war. But sporadic massive bombings and daily attacks still occur across the country.
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