Death toll for U.S. troops and Iraqi civilians down in October
CNN.com reports Sunday from Baghdad that the U.S. monthly troop death toll in Iraq is down by almost 50 percent so far in October, which is a sign of growing security across the nation.
The article states that "there have been 13 U.S. troop deaths in Iraq, compared with 25 in September. It is the second-lowest monthly troop death toll in the war, with July the lowest at 11."
An Iraqi Interior Ministry official said that the monthly Iraqi civilian death toll also dropped in October.
The official said 278 civilians were killed and 464 wounded this month, compared with 359 killed and 705 wounded in September.
The official went on to say that it is likely the lowest monthly civilian death toll since the February 2006 bombing of Al-Askariya Mosque, an event that caused widespread sectarian warfare.
CNN reports that, of the 13 Americans killed in October, six died in noncombat incidents and seven in hostilities. Of the 11 in July, five died in noncombat incidents and six in hostilities.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/10/31/iraq.main/index.html