Fallujah Mayor Assassinated While Anbar Council Tries To Replace Provincial Police Chief

 

Iraq’s Fallujah has once again become a center for insurgent attacks in the country. Most recently the mayor of the city was assassinated in November 2013. Afterward the provincial council voted to replace the chief of police for the governorate due to the deteriorating security situation. The police and the army have failed to protect the city, and it appears that militants have free reign there.

(WestherForecast.com)

Hitting government targets has been a top priority for insurgents in Fallujah, which recently lost its mayor. On November 13, Mayor Adnan al-Jalbawi was gunned down while he was inspecting a sewage station. Jalbawi had been mayor of the city since 2010. Immediately afterward the Anbar provincial council held a meeting where they unanimously voted to replace the Anbar police chief General Hadi Azerji Zrig. That started a dispute with the Interior Ministry, which claimed that its power overrode that of the council. The provinces are supposed to be in charge of their local security forces, but Baghdad has often attempted to exert its authority over the police and army out in the governorates. The assassination of Mayor Jalbawi was just the latest prominent attack in the city. Back in January a suicide bomber killed Parliamentarian Sheikh Aifan Issawi of the Iraqi National Movement who was also a leader in the Awakening. The attorney general for the city was assassinated in April. A dean at Anbar University was gunned down in May, and in October there was an attempt to storm government offices in downtown. Army and police bases in and around the city have also come under constant attack. Overall, Fallujah has witnessed the most reported security incidents in ten out of the eleven months this year in Anbar.

Total Reported Attacks In Fallujah 2013

Date	# of Attacks	Deaths	Wounded
Jan.	27	24 9 Soldiers 3 Police 1 Awakening	29 15 Soldiers 3 Police
Feb.	11	4 1 Police	2
Mar.	11	9 2 Police	10 3 Police
Apr.	41	33 12 Police 2 Awakening	48 22 Police 1 Awakening
May	19	15 8 Police	23 7 Police 2 Soldiers
Jun.	17	25 19 Police 1 Soldier	24 4 Police
Jul.	24	8 17 Police 1 Soldier	21 13 Police 1 Soldier
Aug.	24	19 5 Police	22 7 Police
Sep.	21	14 1 Police 1 Soldier	15 4 Police 3 Soldiers
Oct.	11	33 15 Police	28 19 Police 2 Soldiers
Nov. 1-13	10	6 4 Police	16 8 Police 2 Soldiers

Notable Attacks In Fallujah 2013

Date	Type of Attack	Deaths	Wounded
1/15/13	Suicide bomber	5, including Iraqiya MP Sheikh Aifan Issawi
2/3/13	Mortar army base north of Fallujah
2/6/13	Rockets at army base
2/26/13	Rockets at army base east of Fallujah
3/2/13	Sticky Bomb		1 provincial election candidate
4/1/13	Mortar on army base
4/17/13	Gunfire	Attorney general of Fallujah
4/21/13	Bombing of restaurant	3	18
5/4/13	Gunfire	Dean of Anbar Univ
5/6/13	Rockets at army base east of Fallujah
5/29/13	Gunfire on Federal Police base
	Roadside bomb attack on regiment commander
7/11/13	Car Bomb on Fallujah police dept	4 Police	7 Police
8/3/13	Rockets on army base east of Fallujah
9/5/13	Gunfire	Sheikh Mohammed Al-Jumaili
9/17/13	Gunfire on Fallujah police commander
9/20/13	Roadside bomb on deputy head of provincial council
10/21/13	Attempt to storm government offices
11/13/13	Gunfire	Fallujah mayor

The assassination of Mayor Jalbawi was just the latest attempt by militants to undermine the government in Fallujah. Since the beginning of the year Fallujah has been the main target of insurgents in Anbar. The police have faced a relentless number of attacks as well as prominent Anbaris like the mayor. It is for good reason then that the Anbar council tried to dismiss the provincial police chief as he has not been able to stop this current wave of violence. Unfortunately for Anbar, Baghdad claims that it has control of the governorate’s security forces. Fallujah was once an urban stronghold for Al Qaeda in Iraq and other insurgent groups. In 2013 it has regained its title as a militant base.

SOURCES

AIN, "2 civilians injured central Fallujah," 10/1/13

- "3 IA injured in eastern Fallujah," 1/27/13

- "3 Wanted individuals killed, wounded, arrested in Fallujah," 9/16/13

- "Breaking News…IPs killed, injured in southern Fallujah," 1/22/13

- "Car bomb explodes inside terrorist's house in Anbar," 9/15/13

- "Car bomb goes off in Fallujah," 9/15/13

- "Fallujah Police Commander survives assassination," 9/17/13

- "IA checkpoint attacked in Fallujah," 1/22/13

- "IA Checkpoint rocketed in Fallujah," 1/26/13

- "Sahwa officer wounded in Fallujah," 4/8/13

- "Urgent…11 persons killed, injured in Ramadi Suicide bombing," 1/15/13

- “Urgent…Anbar PC dismisses Anbar Police Commander,” 11/13/13

- "Urgent….Deputy Chairman of Anbar PC survives assassination in Fallujah," 9/20/13

Aswat al-Iraq, "1 civilian killed, 1 cop wounded in Fallujah," 6/19/13

-"1 civilian killed in mid Fallujah," 6/2/13

- "1 cop killed, 2+ wounded south Fallujah," 6/3/13

- "2 cops injured mid of Fallujah," 1/21/13

- "2 wounded in 2 explosions during MP funeral in Fallujah," 1/16/13

- "4 cops wounded in suicidal explosion in Anbar province," 6/17/13

- "4 soldiers kidnapped south east of Fallujah," 1/26/13

- "5 mortar shells fall on military base north Fallujah," 1/27/13

- "Anbar Sheikh assassinated in armed attack in Fallujah," 9/5/13

- "Armed attack on army convoy south east Fallujah," 1/28/13

- "Army camp rocketed eastern Falluja," 2/6/13

- "Child killed, 2 cops injured mid of Fallujah," 1/13/13

- "Civilian killed mid of Fallujah," 1/19/13

- "Curfew in Ana, Rawa areas, Anbar Operations," 10/22/13

- "Mortar shells fell on official residential in Fallujah," 1/14/13

- "Qaeda threatens to "invade" Anbar province, opening Iraqi-Syrian borders," 10/22/13

- "Two soldiers killed by snipers in Fallujah," 1/26/13

National Iraqi News Agency, "2 Civilians killed in Falluja," 7/14/13

- "2 Civilians killed north of Fallujah," 7/22/13

- "2 Civilians wounded in Falluja," 3/17/13

- "2 Civilians wounded in Falluja," 5/19/13

- "2 Civilians wounded southeast Falluja," 2/27/13

- "2 Policemen killed, another wounded in Falluja," 7/21/13

- "2 Policemen killed, one policemen, civilian wounded in Falluja," 4/14/13

- "2 Policemen wounded east of Falluja," 10/29/13

- "2 Policemen wounded in Falluja," 4/8/13

- "2 Policemen wounded in Falluja," 10/2/13

- "2 Policemen wounded in western Falluja," 5/19/13

- "2 Soldiers wounded northeast Falluja," 2/17/13

- "2 Soldiers wounded south of Falluja," 10/10/13

- "3 Civilians killed, 4 wounded in the explosion of 2 IEDs in Falluja," 8/14/13

- "3 Civilians killed, one wounded in Falluja," 3/31/13

- "/3/ gunmen killed inside Fallujah Electricity Directorate, two others escaped," 10/21/13

- "3 Police elements wounded in Falluja," 4/24/13

- "4 Policemen wounded in Falluja," 5/2/13

- "6 Mortar shell hit Falluja," 1/13/13

- "Armed clashes in Falluja," 6/10/13

- "Armed elements blow an Army officer's house in Fallujah," 8/14/13

- "Armed group blow up a house of awakening element east of Fallujah," 5/12/13

- "An army base attacked, north of Fallujah," 1/28/13

- "An Army base hit by Katyusha rockets in Fallujah," 5/6/13

- "Army officer killed and two bodyguards wounded in the center of Fallujah," 7/14/13

- "A bomb explodes on an army patrol north of Fallujah," 5/2/13

- "BREAKING NEWS 3 Soldiers killed in Falluja," 1/25/13

- "BREAKING NEWS 5 Policemen killed, wounded in Falluja," 4/14/13

- "BREAKING NEWS 10 Killed, wounded in Falluja," 5/17/13

- "BREAKING NEWS 17 Policemen, civilians killed, wounded in 2 suicide attacks northeast Ramadi," 6/7/13

- "BREAKING NEWS Attorney General of Falluja assassinated," 4/17/13

- "BREAKING NEWS Casualties of explosion in Falluja restaurant up to 21 killed, wounded," 4/21/13

- "BREAKING NEWS Chairman of Falluja Municipal Council escapes assassination," 4/14/13

- "BREAKING NEWS Policeman killed, 6 wounded in Falluja," 10/2/13

- "BREAKING NEWS Regiment commander escapes assassination south of Falluja," 5/29/13

- "Car bomb exploded in Falluja wounding 3 policemen," 4/17/13

- "A child and his father injured south of Fallujah," 7/13/13

- "Civilian injured in Fallujah," 4/1/13

- "A civilian killed, another civilian and a policeman wounded in Fallujah," 1/13/13

- "A civilian killed another one wounded ,east of Fallujah," 8/23/13

- "A civilian killed another wounded east of Fallujah," 2/23/13

- "Civilian killed, another wounded in Fallujah," 4/27/13

- "Civilian killed, another wounded in south-eastern Falluja," 8/10/13

- "Civilian killed east of Falluja," 8/7/13

- "Civilian killed, his brother wounded east of Falluja," 6/18/13

- "Civilian killed in Falluja," 7/30/13

- "Civilian killed in Fallujah," 4/21/13

- "A civilian killed in Fallujah," 10/5/13

- "Civilian killed, two others wounded in two incidents in Anbar province," 10/8/13

- "Civilian wounded east of Falluja," 2/8/13

- "Civilian wounded in Falluja," 4/26/13

- "Civilian wounded in Falluja," 7/22/13

- "Civilian wounded in southern Falluja," 6/8/13

- "A civilian wounded southeast of Fallujah," 2/6/13

- "Clashes between Federal police and gunmen north of Fallujah," 4/27/13

- "Clashes renewed between Federal Police, gunmen north of Falluja," 4/26/13

- "Death of a policeman south of Falluja," 8/6/13

- "Director of terrorism-combating department in Fallujah survived from an assassination attempt," 8/16/13

- "Falluja explosion victims up to 11 killed, wounded," 7/11/13

- "Federal Police headquarters north of Falluja attacked," 5/29/13

- "Former police officer assassinated in Falluja," 10/9/13

- "Gunman killed, 2 policemen wounded in Falluja," 8/26/13

- "Gunman killed in Fallujah," 8/1/13

- "Gunmen assassinate police officer in Fallujah," 7/22/13

- "Gunmen attack 2 checkpoint in Falluja," 9/13/13

- "Gunmen attack a checkpoint in Fallujah," 10/13/13

- "Gunmen attack police patrol in Fallujah, wound four including an officer," 9/8/13

- "Gunmen blow grocery store in Falluja," 9/10/13

- "Gunmen burn a soldier's house and three cars in Fallujah," 10/1/13

- "Gunmen detonate 3 houses, kill and wound five in Fallujah," 7/22/13

- "Gunmen, Federal Police clash in Falluja," 4/25/13

- "Gunmen kidnap a businessman in Fallujah," 4/20/13

- "Gunmen kill a civilian in Fallujah," 3/16/13

- "Gunmen kill a civilian in Fallujah," 7/9/13

- "Gunmen kill a policeman in Fallujah," 8/12/13

- "Headquarters Army's First Division in north of Falluja mortared," 2/2/13

- "Injury of four people, including a policeman ,north of Fallujah," 4/27/13

- "Interior Ministry staff killed and a civilian injured in Fallujah," 5/25/13

- "Man and his wife injured in Fallujah," 10/1/13

- "Mortar shells hit an army checkpoint east of Falluja," 1/28/13

- "Neighborhood Mayor, civilian killed in Anbar," 10/12/13

- "Oil Ministry employee killed in western Falluja," 10/28/13

- "One civilian killed, another wounded in Fallujah," 9/26/13

- "One civilian killed two others wounded in Fallujah," 3/14/13

- "One policeman killed, an officer wounded in Fallujah," 6/5/13

- "One policeman killed, another wounded, 11 suspects arrested in Fallujah," 10/17/13

- "Police captain killed, a policeman injured in Fallujah," 10/10/13

- "Police, gunmen clash in Falluja," 8/20/13

- "Police officer assassinated in Falluja, assassin arrested," 8/1/13

- "Police officer, his son wounded north of Falluja," 3/16/13

- "Police officer, policeman wounded in Falluja," 6/18/13

- "Police officer seriously injured in Fallujah," 10/3/13

- "A police officer survives from an assassination attempt in Fallujah," 8/1/13

- "Policeman and civilian seriously injured in Falluja," 8/20/13

National Iraqi News Agency-lujah," 9/17/13

- "Policeman killed, another wounded in center of Fallujah," 8/26/13

- "Policeman, civilian wounded east of Falluja," 9/28/13

- "A policeman killed, south of Fallujah," 10/16/13

- "Policeman, civilian wounded in Falluja," 5/26/13

- "Policeman, civilian wounded in Falluja," 7/19/13

- "Policeman injured due to grenade attack in Fallujah," 10/8/13

- "A policeman injured in Fallujah," 10/28/13

- "Policeman killed, 2 brothers wounded in Falluja," 7/13/13

- "Policeman killed, 2 officers wounded in Falluja," 6/2/13

- "A policeman killed, a civilian wounded ,center of Fallujah," 7/9/13

- "A policeman killed , another one injured ,center of Fallujah," 7/14/13

- "Policeman killed, another wounded in Falluja," 10/27/13

- "Policeman killed, civilian wounded in Falluja," 7/3/13

- "Policeman killed in Falluja," 7/21/13

- "Policeman killed in Falluja," 8/3/13

- "Policeman killed in Fallujah," 10/13/13

- "Policeman killed in sniper's fire in Falluja," 4/21/13

- "A policeman killed south of Falluja," 8/21/13

- "A policeman killed ,three people, including a policeman, wounded center of Fallujah," 1/2/13

- "Policeman wounded in Falluja," 4/6/13

- "Policeman wounded in Falluja," 4/12/13

- "Policeman wounded in Falluja," 7/3/13

- "Policeman wounded in Falluja," 8/13/13

- "A policeman wounded in Fallujah," 4/25/13

- "A provincial elections candidate wounded in center of Fallujah," 3/2/13

- "Ramadi/NINA/--A civilian killed and his brother wounded in an attack by silenced weapons carried out in Jbeil area south of Fallujah today," 9/10/13

- "Soldier, civilian wounded in Fallujah," 1/20/13

- "Soldier killed, 2 wounded in Falluja," 1/5/13

- "A soldier killed and four others wounded northern of Fallujah," 1/21/13

- "Soldier killed, another wounded east of Falluja," 9/21/13

- "Soldier killed by sniper's bullet in Fallujah," 6/2/13

- "A soldier killed ,two others injured ,center of Fallujah," 1/1/13

- "Sticky bomb kills three civilians in Fallujah," 8/24/13

- "A suicide car bomber kills one policeman, wounds four others in Anbar province," 6/23/13

- "Three civilians wounded in Fallujah," 8/20/13

- "Three mortar shells hit Iraqi Army Unit in Fallujah," 2/3/13

- "Three policemen injured in center of Fallujah," 4/15/13

- "Three policemen wounded in Fallujah," 7/4/13

- "Three rockets hit an army camp east of Fallujah," 8/3/13

- "Three rockets hit Iraqi Army unit east of Fallujah," 2/26/13

- "Toll of victims of attempt to storm Fallujah Police Department up to two dead and five injured," 10/21/13

- "Two civilians killed when an adhesive roadside bomb went off in Fallujah," 4/15/13

- "Two civilians wounded, southeast of Fallujah," 10/10/13

- "Two gunmen killed after being held in a residential buildings in Fallujah," 10/21/13

- "Two mortar shells fall inside an army unit northeast of Fallujah," 4/1/13

- "Two mortar shells fall on military unit in Fallujah," 1/12/13

- "Two people wounded in Fallujah," 5/24/13

- "Two policemen, four civilians injured in two incidents in Ramadi," 10/3/13

- "Two policemen injured in an armed attack in Fallujah," 4/24/13

- "Two policemen injured west of Falluja," 3/13/13

-"Two policemen wounded in Fallujah," 8/18/13

- "Two soldiers injured, east of Fallujah," 10/19/13

- "Two soldiers wounded in Fallujah," 5/27/13

- "Two soldiers wounded in Fallujah," 9/4/13

Sotaliraq, “Iraqi Interior refuses to dismiss Anbar police chief,” 11/14/13

Tawfeeq, Mohammed, “Mayor gunned down, 24 others killed across Iraq,” CNN, 11/13/13