Violence between Shi'ites and minority Sunnis, who were favored under Saddam Hussein's rule, has been rising, stoked by “death squads”, militias and attacks on holy sites.

Many fear the bloodshed could spiral out of control into a civil war. Police said they had found 12 bodies which had been strangled and tortured in Baghdad yesterday, apparently victims of the Shi’ite-Sunni bloodshed.

Scores of bodies, often mutilated, are turning up across the country every day. Such is the level of killing that the discovery of 30 bodies, many beheaded, on the main road of a village northeast of Baghdad on Sunday barely drew a mention in local media.

Some Iraqis who find themselves an isolated minority in their own neighborhoods are moving to new areas where they have the safety of being part of the majority.

US ambassador Zalmay Kalilzad, leading US efforts to forge a political compromise between the two sides, said at the weekend the militias must be brought under control. He accused them of killing more people than Sunni insurgents fighting US-led forces.

Washington is increasing pressure on ruling Shi'ites to bring Sunnis into a government of national unity to help ease the tensions, reduce the killing and avoid civil war.

The United States is even planning talks with Shi’ite neighbor Iran, which has sway over the Shi'ite-led Baghdad government, to help break the impasse.

Iraqi political leaders were due to meet at President Jalal Talabani’s residence yesterday for another round of talks aimed at forging a compromise government.

Attempts at a united government bringing together Shi'ites, Kurds and Sunnis have made little progress since parliamentary elections in December.

The present interim government is a Shi'ite-Kurdish alliance.

“In practical terms, there is not a complete agreement, nor is there total disagreement,” secular Shi'ite politician Wael Abdul Latif told reporters after talks on Sunday.