April 2009 Security Situation In Mosul

The recent deaths of two U.S. soldiers and the wounding of three others by an Iraqi soldier on May 2, 2009, is just the latest example of violence occurring in the northern city of Mosul in Ninewa province. Despite a new security crackdown launched in February 2009 known as Operation New Hope, the situation in Mosul has not improved much. At the end of 2009 attacks across the country, including in Ninewa province decreased as the provincial elections neared. Large numbers of Sunnis were participating this time after they boycotted the previous vote in 2005. As a result, January saw the fewest attacks and deaths since the U.S. invasion. Since then the number of security incidents and casualties has crept back up.

April’s average number of attacks and deaths per day in Mosul was actually slightly down from the previous months. In April there were an average of 2.63 attacks/incidents per day, compared to 2.77 in March and 2.89 in February. Those were still increases over the low of January where there were only 1.67 attacks/incidents per day, and the last months of 2008. The number of daily deaths was down as well to a level not seen since November. In April there were an average of 1.76 deaths per day. That was below the 2.22 seen in March, 2.0 in February, and 1.80 in January.

What has been steadily increasing however is the number of wounded. April saw an average of 6.36 wounded Iraqis per day. That was the highest average since November when 8.3 Iraqis were wounded on average per day. The reason why so many were wounded last month was the return of mass casualty bombings in the city. A suicide bomber in a truck for example, killed five U.S. soldiers, two Iraqi policemen, and wounded 70 people as he charged a checkpoint with his vehicle on April 10.

Attack Statistics In Mosul Based Upon Press Reports

April 2009
79 Attacks/Incidents – 2.63 attacks & incidents/day
53 Deaths – 1.76 deaths/day
191 Wounded – 6.36 wounded/day

March 2009
86 attacks/incidents – 2.77 attacks & incidents/day
69 deaths – 2.22 deaths/day
169 wounded – 5.45 wounded/day

February 2009
81 attacks/incidents – 2.89 attacks & incidents/day
58 deaths – 2.0 deaths/day
111 wounded – 3.96 wounded/day

January 2009
52 attacks/incidents – 1.67 attacks & incidents/day
56 deaths – 1.80 killed/day
85 wounded – 2.74 wounded/day

December 2008
65 attacks/incidents – 2.09 attacks & incidents/day
68 deaths – 2.19 deaths/day
181 wounded – 5.83 wounded/day

November 2008
65 attacks/incidents – 2.16 attacks & incidents/day
53 deaths – 1.76 deaths/day
249 wounded – 8.3 wounded/day

October 2008
92 attacks/incidents – 2.96 attacks & incidents/day
112 deaths – 3.61 deaths/day
188 wounded – 6.06 wounded/day

American officials hoped that the provincial elections and a high turnout by Sunnis would be a step towards reconciliation in Iraq. So far, that has not happened in Mosul. Rather the newly elected al-Hadbaa party is in open conflict with the Kurdish alliance over positions on the provincial council. The elections have only added a new political dispute to the already troubled situation in the area.

Overall, the security situation in Ninewa closely resembles that of the rest of the country. Towards the end of 2008 up to January violence was down across Iraq as the balloting neared. Now attacks, deaths, and wounded are going back up in Mosul and Iraq. They still have not reached the levels of late 2008 however, but they are getting close.

SOURCES

Agence France Presse, “Iraq death toll ‘lowest since invasion,’” 2/1/09

Alsumaria, “Iraq death toll lowest since five years,” 2/2/09

Aswat al-Iraq, “2 brothers gunned down in Mosul,” 4/26/09
- “2 civilians killed in separate attacks in Mosul,” 4/20/09
- “2 civilians killed, wounded by U.S. fire in Mosul,” 4/8/09
- “2 cops killed, injured in attack in Mosul,” 4/16/09
- “2 gunmen kill civilian in Mosul,” 4/9/09
- “2 Iraqi soldiers killed in Mosul,” 4/26/09
- “3 civilians wounded in grenade blast in Mosul,” 4/16/09
- “3 guards wounded in blast while transporting prisoners in Mosul,” 4/16/09
- “3 wounded in explosion in Mosul,” 4/27/09
- “4 civilians wounded by Mosul cart bomb,” 4/2/09
- “7 wounded in Mosul blast,” 4/19/09
- “Badoush jail mortared west of Mosul,” 4/9/09
- “Bodies of 3 brothers found in Mosul,” 4/30/09
- “Body of headless woman found in Mosul,” 4/26/09
- “Body with slit throat found in Mosul,” 4/5/09
- “Car bomb injures 10 in Mosul,” 4/1/09
- “Car bomb targets U.S. forces in Mosul,” 4/23/09
- “Civilian gunned down in Mosul,” 4/28/09
- “Civilian gunned down in northern Mosul,” 4/12/09
- “Civilian killed, 2 injured in clashes in western Mosul,” 4/6/09
- “Civilian, policeman wounded in IED blast in Mosul,” 4/2/09
- “Explosion targets army patrol, no casualties,” 4/8/09
- “Grenade wounds 4 civilians in Mosul,” 4/23/09
- “Gunman arrested while planting explosive device in Mosul,” 4/29/09
- “Gunmen kill 2 cops, wound another in Mosul,” 4/19/09
- “Gunmen kill butcher in western Mosul,” 4/22/09
- “Gunmen kill leader of al-Hadbaa list in Mosul,” 4/6/09
- “Gunmen kill mayor in eastern Mosul,” 4/13/09
- “IED injures 2 civilians in Mosul,” 4/23/09
- “IED wounds 6 people in Mosul,” 4/2/09
- “IED wounds serviceman in Mosul,” 4/22/09
- “Iraqi soldier killed, woman wounded in Mosul,” 4/2409
- “Mosul morgue receives unknown body from U.S. base,” 4/7/09
- “Sticky IED kills civilian in Mosul,” 4/8/09
- “Suicide attack injures 2 soldiers in Mosul,” 4/22/09
- “Teacher gunned down in Mosul,” 4/1/09
- “U.S. forces injure woman in Mosul,” 4/27/09
- “U.S. forces kill civilian in Mosul,” 4/6/09
- “U.S. forces kill gunman in Mosul,” 4/7/09
- “U.S. forces run over civilian in Mosul,” 4/21/09
- “Woman killed, daughter wounded in Mosul blast,” 4/10/09

DPA, “Iraqi tribal leader assassinated near Mosul,” 4/7/09

Issa, Sahar, “Round-up of Daily Violence in Iraq – Sunday 5 April 2009,” 4/5/09
- “Round-up of Daily Violence in Iraq – Tuesday 28 April 2009,” 4/28/09

Issa, Sahar and Kadhim, Hussein, “Round-up of Daily Violence in Iraq – Sunday 12 April 2009,” 4/12/09
- “Round-up of Daily Violence in Iraq – Wednesday 1 April 2009,” 4/1/09

Kadhim, Hussein, “Roundup of Daily Violence in Iraq-Wednesday 8 April 2009,” 4/8/09

Londono, Ernesto and Brwari, Dlovan, “Iraqi Soldier Kills 2 U.S. Troops, Wounds 3,” Washington Post, 5/3/09

Multi-National Division – North, “Five U.S. Soldiers and two ISF killed by suicide truck bomb,” Multi-National Force – Iraq, 4/10/09

Reuters, “FACTBOX-Security development in Iraq, April 1,” 4/1/09
- “FACTBOX-Security development in Iraq, April 2,” 4/2/09
- “FACTBOX-Security development in Iraq, April 5,” 4/5/09
- “FACTBOX-Security development in Iraq, April 12,” 4/12/09
- “FACTBOX-Security development in Iraq, April 22,” 4/22/09
- “FACTBOX-Security development in Iraq, April 29,” 4/29/09
- “FACTBOX-Security development in Iraq, April 30,” 4/30/09
- “Suicide truck bomb kills 5 U.S. troops,” 4/10/09