The Iraqi government has announced that July was the deadliest month in the country in more than two years.
Data compiled by the health, defense and interior ministries show a total of 535 people were killed in attacks across the country in July, AFP reported on Saturday.
Some 396 of them were civilians, 89 were policemen, and 50 were soldiers. In addition, over 1,043 people were wounded.
The death toll in bombings and other terrorist attacks for July 2010 was the highest since May 2008.
The government figures indicate a considerable jump in the level of violence months since the March 7 parliamentary elections, which have yet to result in the formation of a new government.
On June 14, Iraq finally held its first parliamentary session since the vote, but the meeting was adjourned after only 20 minutes. The second session, scheduled for July 27, was indefinitely postponed as the country's major political parties failed to agree on a new ruling coalition.
Former premier Iyad Allawi's al-Iraqiya bloc finished in first place in the elections, winning 91 seats in Iraq's 325-member parliament.
Al-Iraqiya was closely followed by incumbent Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's State of Law alliance, which won 89 seats.
The Iraqi National Alliance ended up in the third place with 70 seats.
Analysts warn that the delay in forming a new government gives militant groups the opportunity to further destabilize the country.
Iraq has been racked by violence since the US-led invasion of the country in 2003.
The military action toppled Baathist dictator Saddam Hussein but also opened the gate for al-Qaeda militants and associated extremists to carry out terrorist attacks throughout the country.
There are approximately 65,000 US soldiers currently stationed in Iraq, 15,000 of whom are to leave Iraq by September. A security pact between Baghdad and Washington requires the United States to withdraw all its troops from Iraqi territory by the end of 2011.
MRS/HGL
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