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Iraqi Shiites perform the Eid al-Fitr prayer in Baghdad on August 9, 2013/AFP

World

More than 60 dead as Iraqis mark end to lethal Ramadan

More than 800 people died in attacks during the dawn to dusk fasting month of Ramadan, which began in the second week of July and ended this week.

Militants struck targets ranging from cafes where Iraqis gathered after breaking their daily fast, to mosques where extended evening prayers were held during the month.

The violence came just weeks after attacks on prisons near the capital in which hundreds of inmates were freed.

Analysts, as well as global police organisation Interpol, have warned that the jailbreaks could lead to a rise in attacks, as the escapees were said to include senior Al Qaeda militants.

Security forces have meanwhile launched major operations, among the biggest since the December 2011 withdrawal of US forces, targeting militants in multiple provinces including Baghdad.

Violence has markedly increased this year, especially since an April 23 security operation at a Sunni Arab anti government protest site that sparked clashes in which dozens died.

Protests erupted in Sunni majority areas in late 2012, amid widespread discontent among Sunnis, who accuse the Shiite led government of marginalising and targeting them.

Analysts say Sunni anger is the main cause of the spike in violence this year.

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