BAGHDAD, April 1 (Reuters) - Violent civilian deaths in Iraq climbed to their highest level since mid-2007, Iraqi government figures showed on Tuesday, due to a spike in violence between Iraq security forces and Mehdi Army militia fighters. A total of 923 civilians died violently in March, up 31 percent from February and the deadliest month since August 2007, according to figures released by Iraq's interior, defence and health ministries. Hundreds died and many hundreds more were wounded in last week's fighting, sparked by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's crackdown on fighters loyal to Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. The southern Iraqi city of Basra, the focal point of last week's fighting, was relatively calm for a second straight day on Tuesday after Sadr called his fighters off the streets. Despite the sharp rise in casualties, the March 2008 figure was still significantly lower than the 1,861 civilians who died violently in the same month a year ago. A total of 1,358 civilians were wounded, compared with 2,700 a year ago. Violence has fallen since last summer when the U.S. military added an extra 30,000 troops and Sadr declared a ceasefire. But analysts warn that fighting could easily spike up again as groups vie for political control ahead of provincial elections, expected to take place by October. The Iraqi government says the military operation in Basra last week was intended to impose law and order, but Sadr's followers say it was politically motivated. The latest Iraqi data showed 102 policemen and 54 soldiers were killed, compared with 65 and 20 respectively in February, and that 641 insurgents had been killed and 2,509 detained. (Writing by Randy Fabi; Editing by Ibon Villelabeitia)
A demonstrator holds a picture of Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki during a protest in Diwaniya, 180 km (112 miles) south of Baghdad March 29, 2008. About 200 demonstrators held a ...
