Iraq death toll falls but violence still high

The death toll from attacks in Iraq fell in February from January, but more than 200 were still killed for the second month in a row, AFP data showed on Friday. In February attacks, 220 people were killed and 571 wounded -- down from 246 killed and 735, respectively, according to the tally, based on security and medical sources. But violence is still up significantly compared to the last three months of 2012 -- 144 people were killed in December, 160 in November and 136 in October. Most of February's casualties were civilians. There were six days in the month when 10 or more people were killed in violence, the same number as January. The deadliest was February 3, when attacks, including a combined suicide car bombing and assault by grenade-throwing gunmen on a police headquarters, left 36 people dead and 91 wounded. Violence is down markedly from its peak in 2006 and 2007, but attacks still remain common even 10 years after the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq that toppled Saddam Hussein.