BAGHDAD, May 1 (Xinhua) -- The death toll of Iraqis across the country climbed to 1,073 people mostly by fierce clashes between Sadr's followers and U.S.-backed Iraqi security forces, a security source said on Thursday.

　　Figures compiled by Iraqi Interior, Defense and Heath ministries, showed that 966 civilians and 107 security members were killed nationwide, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

　　April's death toll roughly lower than in March which showed 1,082 Iraqis killed, compared with a total of 721 killed in February.

　　Most of the deaths were recorded in fierce clashes between Shiite militiamen loyal to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and U.S.-backed Iraqi security forces which broke out in late March and continued in April.

　　Violence in Iraq has dropped down 60 percent since last June. The drop was attributed to the surge of an extra 30,000 U.S. troops, the uprising of Sunnis against al-Qaida and ceasefire announced by radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.