The number of civilian deaths in Iraq rose to a record high last month. The Ministry of Health said a total of 393 people were killed in August.

The number increased by a third from the previous month and is the highest since April. Two massive truck bombs on August 19th, in Baghdad killed 95 people, making it the bloodiest day of the year.

In June, the US troops pulled out of Iraqi cities, leaving the security there on the Iraqi forces hands. Many Iraqis fear their own security forces are not yet qualified for the job of keeping the country secure. Since the 2003 US-led invasion, nearly one hundred thousand Iraqi civilians have been killed.

(CCTV September 2, 2009)