By Xinhua
Baghdad : A spate of violence incidents led to the deaths of nearly 40 people in Iraq on Tuesday, exacerbating a worrisome security picture over the past two months.
Among the bloodshed on Tuesday, the deadliest occurred when a bus was hit by a roadside bomb near the southern city of Nasiriyah, about 375 km south of Baghdad, leaving at least 16 passengers dead and 22 others wounded.
An Iraqi interior ministry source said the bombing could have targeted a U.S. convey.
A report released by the Pentagon on Tuesday said that violence in Iraq has risen since January, including suicide and car bombings.
In January, “high-profile attacks rose for the first time in five months as a result of a slight increase in person-borne IEDs (improvised explosive devices) and a slight increase in vehicle-borne IEDs,” said the Pentagon report.
Pentagon warned that the security gain in Iraq is not irreversible though deaths from ethno-sectarian violence have dropped by near 90 percent since last June, and civilian and coalition deaths declined over 70 percent.
“Recent security gains remain fragile, and sustained progress over the long term will depend on Iraq’s ability to address a complex set of issues associated with key political and economic objectives,” the report said.
According to statistics complied by the Iraqi government, the death toll in February rose by about 30 percent over the previous month.
The blasts striking two Baghdad markets on Feb. 1 attributed most to the gruesome picture with nearly 100 people dead.
The U.S. troops are under increasing attacks as it is engaged in a new round of offensive against al-Qaida and other insurgent groups.
Forty U.S. troops were killed in January, the highest since September when 65 soldiers were dead.
On Monday, up to eight U.S. troops were killed and four wounded in two separate attacks, the largest single day casualty for months.
In the incidents, five were killed in the Mansour district by a suicide bomber, while the other three died from a roadside bombing in the restive Diyala province.
A total of 3,984 U.S. troops have been killed in Iraq since 2003, according to Icasualties, a Website that follows the coalition force casualties.
Al-Qaida remains a serious threat in parts of the country, particularly in the north, the Pentagon report said.
“Al-Qaida continues its efforts to exacerbate those communal tensions with high profile attacks and a campaign of murder and intimidation against tribal, political and security force leaders,” it said.
Iraq’s Sunnis who fight against al-Qaida have come under frequent attacks. On Monday, a female suicide bomber killed a Sunni sheik in Diyala province who led the local Awakening Council, which guards neighborhoods in collaboration with the U.S. and Iraqi forces.
The U.S.military is also blaming Shiite insurgents for undermining stability.
On Tuesday, Iraqi police traded fierce gunfire with gunmen in Kut, 170 km southeast of Baghdad. The conflict left six people dead and 30 wounded.
The police said they were chasing wanted members of the Mahdi Army led by radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.
Sadr announced a six-month ceasefire last August and extended the pledge for the same period of time last month.
Yet, some of his followers have been disobedient and continuing attacks. The U.S. military said they are backed by Iran.