The number of civilians and U.S. soldiers killed by violence in Iraq rose slightly in February, but fighting claimed far fewer lives than it has in previous years, data showed on Sunday.

The Iraqi Ministry of Health said 211 civilians were killed in February, up from 138 in January but still the second lowest monthly death toll since the March 2003 U.S.-led invasion to topple Saddam Hussein.

In February last year, 633 Iraqi civilians died violent deaths and the same month in 2007 saw 1,645 civilians killed.

Eleven U.S. soldiers were killed in combat in February this year, compared with eight in January, according to www.icasualties.org, which collates official data.

The figure for January was revised up after the U.S. military reported that a helicopter crash which killed four soldiers in northern Iraq was caused by enemy fire.

The sectarian violence that nearly tore Iraq apart in 2006 and 2007 has ebbed, but al Qaeda and other insurgents continue to launch attacks in restive Diyala and Nineveh provinces.

All except three of the U.S. soldiers killed in February died fighting militants in these two provinces.

At least 4,251 U.S. soldiers have died in Iraq or surrounding areas where troops are stationed since the invasion, including those killed by accident or illness.

Close to 100,000 Iraqi civilians have died in violence during that time, according to www.iraqbodycount.org.