BAGHDAD (AFP) — Violence across Iraq has fallen to its lowest level since before the bombing of a Shiite mosque in February 2006 that sparked savage sectarian bloodletting, a US military commander said on Thursday.
There has also been a 50 percent fall-off in violence in Baghdad since January, Lieutenant General Ray Odierno, the number two commander of US-led forces in Iraq, told a press conference in Baghdad.
"Attacks nationwide have fallen to the lowest level since before the Golden Mosque bombing," he said, referring to a bombing which destroyed the revered shrine in Samarra and unleashed a relentless wave of reprisals and counter-reprisals across Iraq that has already killed thousands of Iraqis.
"Car bombs and suicide attacks have dropped to their lowest level in a year," Odierno said. "Attacks in Baghdad have reached the lowest level this year and the trend continues to be down."
Civilian casualties had dropped from a high of about 32 per day to 12 per day, the US commander said.
"Al-Qaeda in Iraq is increasingly being pushed out of Baghdad and the surrounding areas," he said. "We are starting to see a normalisation of life across Iraq and also in Baghdad."
He said there had been no indication of reprisals linked to a shooting incident in Baghdad on Sunday involving guards from the private Blackwater security company escorting US embassy officials in which 10 people were killed.
"It's amazing. We are thankful to the Iraqi people for that," said Odierno.
The Iraqi government reacted angrily to the incident, saying it would revoke Blackwater's licence to operate in Iraq, as officials from the two countries launched a joint inquiry into the incident.
Iraqi General Qanbar Abud, chief of Baghdad operations command, also addressing the press conference, said Iraqi and US forces were achieving "success on the ground."
"Life is returning to normal," Abud said. "We are now winning. We never thought it could be such a success."
The assessments were based on official statistics from Iraqi military commands, local police and government, including the ministry of health, Abud said.
"These statistics show there has been a huge decrease in criminal and terrorist activities.
"There are about 507 neighbourhoods in Baghdad and before operation Fardh al-Qanoon (Imposing Law) was launched (in February), two-thirds were controlled by terrorists and criminal gangs," the general said.
"Today, only five or six neighbourhoods can be considered hot zones," he said.
Fardh al-Qanoon, supported by a "surge" of 28,500 extra US troops, was launched on February 14 with the aim of quelling the raging violence pitting Shiites against Sunnis.
"Iraqi security forces are present in these places, there are troops there, and life is going normally, even though we sometimes have roadside bombs, shootings and assassinations," Abud said.
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