Iraq sees worst suicide attack on civilians since March 2008

摘要

Sixty-three Iraqi civilians were killed on 17 June by a car bomb in a northern Baghdad market in the worst suicide attack on civilians since March. The attack came as Iraq's parliament announced intentions to hold its first sessions outside the US-protected Green Zone due to hard-won security gains and followed praise at the UN Security Council for the progress being made by the country's national security forces. US Ambassador to the UN Zal-may Khalilzad testified on 13 June to the 15-member council about the "tremendous progress" being made by the nearly 600,000-strong forces that are assuring security in 18 of Iraq's provinces, but warned that the gains were "vulnerable". "The government and people of Iraq still have some distance to go," he said. More than 559,000 personnel now serve in the Iraqi security forces, Khalilzad said, speaking on behalf of the Multi-National Force - Iraq. As of 1 May, 147 Iraqi Army combat battalions were conducting operations, 65 per cent of which were rated as able to take the lead in operations, as well as planning, executing and sustaining operations with minimal or no assistance from coalition forces.