U.N. urges resolve during Iraq's new phase

UNITED NATIONS, June 30 (UPI) -- Iraqis should reject attempts to incite more outbreaks of violence as the country takes its next step toward recovery, the U.N. secretary-general said.

Iraq marked National Sovereignty Day on Tuesday, commemorating the deadline for U.S. combat forces to pull back to their military bases.

U.S. combat forces are required under a bilateral security agreement with Baghdad to vacate their positions outside their military bases by Tuesday.

In the run-up to the deadline, Iraq witnessed a spate of high-profile attacks, including a suicide bombing in the Baghdad slum of Sadr City last week that killed nearly 70 people, including U.S. military personnel.

U.N. Secretary Ban Ki-moon, in a statement condemning the recent outbreak of violence, called on the people of Iraq to resist efforts to undermine improved trends in the country.

"The secretary-general notes that Iraq has been benefiting from an improving security environment, and appeals to the people of Iraq to continue to reject these attempts to incite further violence in the country," the statement said.

Events in Iraq were largely festive Tuesday, with parades and pop concerts in major urban centers. A car bomb in the northern city of Kirkuk, however, exploded in a central market, killing as many as 20 people.