The number of soldiers who committed suicide in January could reach 24, a count that would be the highest monthly total since the Army began tabulating suicides in 1980.

The latest Army figures, released Thursday, show seven confirmed suicides last month, with another 17 deaths still being investigated. The Army has said the vast majority of suspicious deaths typically turn out to be suicide.

If confirmed, the suicide count for last month would exceed those killed in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan during the same period. In January 2008, five soldiers committed suicide.

“Each of these losses is a personal tragedy that is felt throughout the Army family,” said Gen. Peter Chiarelli, the vice chief of staff of the Army. “The trend and trajectory seen in January further heightens the seriousness and urgency that all of us must have in preventing suicides.”