Suicide Bombings in Iraq Decline

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Suicide bombings fell in November to their lowest level in seven months, the American military said Thursday, citing the success of U.S.-Iraqi military operations against insurgent and foreign fighter sanctuaries near the Syrian border.

Nevertheless, Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, a coalition operations officer, warned that al-Qaida in Iraq, led by Jordanian terror mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, will likely step up attacks in the next two weeks to try to disrupt parliamentary elections Dec. 15.

Lynch told reporters that suicide bombings declined to 23 in November as U.S. and Iraqi forces were overrunning insurgent strongholds in the Euphrates River valley west of the capital.

"In the month of November: only 23 suicide attacks � the lowest we've seen in the last seven months, the direct result of the effectiveness of our operations," Lynch said.

Car bombings � parked along streets and highways and detonated remotely � have declined from 130 in February to 68 in November, Lynch said.