▁participated . ▁On ▁ 4 ▁February , ▁Paul ▁Wolf ow itz ▁announced ▁that ▁ 1 5 , 0 0 0 ▁U . S . ▁troops ▁whose ▁t ours ▁of ▁duty ▁had ▁been ▁extended ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁provide ▁election ▁security ▁would ▁be ▁pulled ▁out ▁of ▁Ira q ▁by ▁the ▁next ▁month . ▁February , ▁March ▁and ▁April ▁proved ▁to ▁be ▁relatively ▁peace ful ▁months ▁compared ▁to ▁the ▁car n age ▁of ▁November ▁and ▁January , ▁with ▁ins urg ent ▁attacks ▁aver aging ▁ 3 0 ▁a ▁day ▁from ▁the ▁average ▁ 7 0 . ▁ ▁Hop es ▁for ▁a ▁quick ▁end ▁to ▁an ▁ins ur gency ▁and ▁a ▁withdraw al ▁of ▁U . S . ▁troops ▁were ▁dashed ▁at ▁the ▁advent ▁of ▁May , ▁Ira q ' s ▁blood iest ▁month ▁since ▁the ▁invasion ▁of ▁U . S . ▁forces ▁in ▁March ▁and ▁April ▁ 2 0 0 3 . ▁Su ic ide ▁bom bers , ▁believed ▁to ▁be ▁mainly ▁dis heart ened ▁Ira qi ▁Sun ni ▁Arab s , ▁Sy ri ans ▁and ▁Sa ud is , ▁t ore ▁through ▁Ira q . ▁Their ▁targets ▁were ▁often ▁Sh ia ▁gather ings ▁or ▁civil ian ▁concentr ations ▁mainly ▁of ▁Sh ias . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁over ▁ 7 0 0 ▁Ira qi ▁civ ili ans ▁died ▁in ▁that ▁month , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁ 7 9 ▁U . S . ▁soldiers . ▁ ▁During ▁early ▁and ▁mid - May , ▁the ▁U . S . ▁also ▁launched ▁Operation ▁Mat ador , ▁an ▁assault