Iraq insurgency attacks soar

WASHINGTON - Insurgents in Iraq mounted more than 34,000 attacks on coalition troops and civilians last year, a 30 per cent jump from 2004.

US officials said the figure should not be seen as evidence the insurgents are gaining ground because the effectiveness of their attacks declined.

There were 34,131 attacks by insurgents in 2005 compared with 26,496 in 2004, the military said, counting all attacks regardless of effectiveness.

The number of roadside bomb attacks increased to 10,593 in 2005 from 5607 in 2004. The figure included bombs deactivated before detonation.

Bomb-vest suicide attacks rose to 67 in 2005 from 7 in 2004, the military said. Suicide attacks with car bombs rose to 411 in 2005 from 133 in 2004.

"While you've seen a rise in the number of attacks, the effectiveness of those attacks has gone down," US military spokesman Tim Keefe said, without providing exact numbers.

The Pentagon said there have been 2237 US military deaths in the war, and another 16,472 have been wounded in combat.

The number of US deaths last year, 846, was nearly identical to the previous year, 848, while the number wounded in combat last year - 5939 - fell from 2004's 7989.

- REUTERS