Special report: Tension escalates in Iraq

    BAGHDAD, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- The civilian death toll from violence in Iraq rose slightly in August, with at least 1,770 people killed, more than six months after the U.S. and Iraqi forces launched a security plan to curb violence and sectarian strife, according to the statistics released on Saturday.

    The statistics from the Iraqi ministries of defense, interior and health showed that the toll for August was 7 percent higher than the previous month.

    Some 87 police and Iraqi army personnel were reportedly killed during August, comparing to 224 killed in July, the figures showed.

    On Aug. 14, insurgents killed some 500 people from Yazidis, a minority religious sect in northern Iraq, making it the deadliest bomb attack since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.

    U.S. officials said that violence and sectarian killings have been reduced in and around Baghdad due to the presence of thousands of its troops during the security plan launched on Feb. 14.

    Analysts, however, suggest that insurgents may have moved out of Baghdad and continue their attacks in remote regions in the country.