General David Petraeus, the top American commander in Iraq, stressed on Thursday that the US military was not declaring victory in Iraq despite the decline in bloodshed across most parts of the country.

He said violence in Iraq had fallen by 60 per cent since June when the surge took full effect. High-profile incidents, such as suicide attacks and car bombings, had also fallen dramatically since early this year. But he warned against excessive optimism, saying progress in some areas remained “fragile”.