More than 1,000 died in Iraq in January: Figures

More than 1,000 people were killed in bombings and shootings across Iraq in January, figures show as violence keeps raging in the country.

According to the figures, compiled by the ministries of health, interior and defense and released on Friday, 1,013 people were killed in January, including 795 civilians, 122 soldiers and 96 policemen.

The death toll is the highest since April 2008 when 1,073 people were killed.

Meanwhile, the country’s security forces supported by Sunni tribesmen have been battling the militants in the western province of Anbar.

The violence in Anbar broke out on December 30, 2013, when the army removed an anti-government protest camp in Ramadi. Authorities said the camp was used as “headquarters for the leadership of al-Qaeda.” The bloodshed later spread to nearby Fallujah.

Earlier on Friday, Iraqi authorities said five people were killed in a car bomb attack at an army checkpoint on a bridge in the Anbar town of Hit, 140 kilometers (85 miles) west of the capital Baghdad.

The Iraqi government has stepped up efforts to boost security across the country over the past few months.