BAGHDAD, May 1: Over 1,360 Iraqis have been killed during the period between April 1 and April 30, 10 times higher than the figure of at least 138 US troops who died during the same period, show figures compiled by The Associated Press of America.

Official and complete death counts for Iraqis nationwide are unavailable.

The Iraqi tally was compiled from daily records of violence reported by AP, based on statements issued by the US military, Iraqi police and local hospitals. The count includes civilians, insurgents and members of the Iraqi security forces, though a detailed breakdown was not possible. The Iraqi Health Ministry and the Red Crescent could not be reached till Friday.

Also, the tally is likely to be incomplete, because witnesses reported deaths in some attacks that could not be confirmed by a hospital, the Iraqi police or US officials.

Victims - young and old, women and men, insurgents and innocents - have been piling up day by day, making April the deadliest month for Iraqis and Americans since the fall of Saddam Hussein a year ago.

The siege of Fallujah, where Americans unleashed their arsenal of warplanes and tanks, became a symbol of resistance that rallied many Iraqis to the anti-occupation cause while the escalating violence deepened Iraqis' sense of instability and left them skeptical of US promises of peace and prosperity.

The majority of Iraqi deaths are likely to have taken place in the US siege of Fallujah, but the toll there has been a source of controversy. The head of Fallujah's hospital, Rafie Al Issawi, said on Friday his records showed 731 killed and around 2,800 wounded since the siege began on April 1. His number is factored into the AP count.

The Iraqi health minister, Khudayer Abbas, gave a much lower number on April 22, saying 271 people were killed in the city. He also put the total number of Iraqi dead for the month so far, including Fallujah, at 576.-Agencies