Six security personnel killed in attacks in Iraq

Six security personnel killed in attacks in Iraq

The attacks in a number of Sunni Arab areas to the north and west of Baghdad on Sunday , killing six security forces , officials said .

The dead included three soldiers , a policeman and a militant opponent of Al-Qaeda in attacks in Hawijah , Balad , Baiji and on the western outskirts of Baghdad .

A guardian of the Deputy Minister of Electricity Hassan Khaled was also killed and another injured when militants attacked a convoy of officials in the north of Iraq 's capital city , said Hassan told AFP .

Attempt by the authorities in recent months to control the deadly violence has not shown significant results so far .

More than 700 people were killed in Iraq in February , according to data compiled by AFP , the UN mission to Iraq and the Iraqi government .

Violence in Iraq has reached levels not seen since 2008, when the country was beginning to recover from deadly sectarian conflict in 2006-2007 that claimed tens of thousands of lives .

A total of 1,013 people - 795 civilians , 122 soldiers and 96 policemen - were killed by violence in the country in January , according to official data compiled by the ministries of health , interior and defense .

According to the data , the violence also wounded 2,024 people - 1,633 civilians , 238 soldiers and 153 police .

Security forces kill 189 militants and arresting 458 people during that month .

The number of deaths in January was the highest number issued by the ministries that since April 2008 , when 1,073 people were killed .

The data confirm that the latest victims of a deadly escalation of violence in Iraq , which was hit by militant attacks almost every day and the takeover of an important city that is the doorway to Baghdad and the areas in a city other by anti - government guerrillas .

Last year was the deadliest days in Iraq since 2008 in which nearly 9,000 people were killed , according to UN data .

Tensions high in Iraq this year since militants linked to Al Qaeda and other Sunni militants took over the city of Falluja on January 1 .

UN Secretary General Ban Ki - moon expressed concern over the ongoing violence and urged Iraqi leaders addressing the underlying cause .

A wave of bombings and suicide attacks increased in the middle of a political crisis between Prime Minister Nuri al - Maliki and his government partners and protest marches for several weeks demanding his resignation .

Iraq hit by political turmoil and violence that killed thousands of people since U.S. forces completed the withdrawal from the country on December 18, 2011 , leaving security responsibilities to Iraqi forces .

In addition to problems with the Kurds , the Iraqi government also clashed with Sunni groups .

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al - Maliki ( Shiite ) since December 2011 seeking the arrest of Vice President Tareq al - Hashemi on terrorism charges and tried to fire Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al - Absolute . Both are Sunni leader AFP .