BAGHDAD -- Violence in Iraq has dropped 60 percent in the past six months, the top U.S. commander in Baghdad told reporters Thursday.
Gen. David Petraeus attributed the improvement to increased cooperation with local militias, which in turn has led to progress battling al-Qaida and thwarting insurgent attacks, CNN reported.
He said the addition of 30,000 U.S. troops early this year had also contributed to the progress.
However, the general cautioned against reading too much into the estimate.
"There's nobody in uniform who's doing victory dances in the end zone," he said. "We see this as requiring a continued amount of tough work.
"When you've been doing this as long as some of us have, you just keep your head down and you keep moving."
Petraeus spoke during a visit by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who made similar estimates and said security, stability and democracy in Iraq are "within reach," the report said.
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