BAGHDAD – Casualties in Iraq went down in January, despite terrorists' attempts to harm more Iraqi civilians. And the U.S. Air Force released numbers for its operations over Iraqi airspace.

"You can see a significant trend line down in the number of casualties – Coalition, civilian and Iraqi security force casualties," Multi-National Force Iraq Spokesman Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch told reporters in his weekly press conference from Baghdad.

“That improvement in numbers of casualties is a direct result and improvement of our operations and the 227,000 trained and equipped members of the Iraqi security force we have patrolling the streets of Iraq today,” Lynch said.

While such a downward trend is encouraging, Lynch tempered that news with the fact that the predominant number of casualties is in the Iraqi civilian population.

"If you work the numbers,” Lynch said, “you realize that 50 percent of the casualties ... are Iraqi civilians."

He attributed the carnage to terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, saying the Jordanian was trying to establish an Islamic caliphate in Iraq, on orders from Al Qaeda. Lynch said the terrorist is inept at attacks against Coalition and Iraqi security forces, so he has shifted the focus of his attacks onto Iraqi civilians.

"That [Iraqi civilian sector] is indeed the target of Zarqawi because he can get mass effect, he can get mass coverage, and he's trying to create a sectarian divide here in Iraq."

But Lynch also expressed confidence in the Coalition's fight against terrorism:

“We're going to defeat Zarqawi and the terrorists and foreign fighters,” he said. “That is our focus, so we study him continuously.”

Defeating Al Qaeda and insurgents isn't just accomplished from the ground. The U.S. Air Force released information on combined air operations in Iraq, saying Coalition aircraft flew 51 close air support missions for Operation Iraqi Freedom Feb. 2. The missions included support to Coalition troops, infrastructure protection, reconstruction activities, and operations to deter and disrupt terrorist activities.

U.S. Air Force F-16s and U. S. Navy F-14s and F/A-18s provided close air support to Coalition troops in contact with anti-Iraqi forces near Hawijah, Iskandariyah, Taji, and Baghdad.

In addition, 12 U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and Royal Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft flew missions in support of OIF. Also, U.S. Air Force fighter aircraft performed a non-traditional ISR role with their electro-optical and infrared sensors.

(Content compiled from Official DoD sources)