Low Level Attacks Characterize Violence In Iraq’s Ninewa November 2013

 

According to the United Nations Iraq’s Ninewa has been the second deadliest province for most of 2013. That’s because the governorate capital Mosul is the major urban base for the insurgency. Al Qaeda in Iraq, the Baathist Naqshibandi and others have been able to assert control over wide swaths of the city and surrounding area. Unlike places like Baghdad where mass casualty bombings are the norm, in Ninewa violence consists mostly of low-level shootings and roadside bombs but with no less deadly results.

November 2013 saw the most reported attacks in Ninewa since the beginning of the year. According to the Iraqi press there were a total of 142 security incidents last month averaging out to 4.73 per day. The previous highs were in September and July when there were 114 attacks each. As usual, Mosul was the center of insurgent activity with 99 attacks, 69% of the total. To show how much the city has dominated violence Qayara had the second most incidents for the month with only six. For the year the provincial capital has accounted for 69%-87% of all attacks in Ninewa. 

Reported Attacks In Ninewa 2013

Month	Attacks	Avg. Attacks Per Day	Attacks In Mosul	Bombings	Shootings
Jan	65	2.09	57	28	34
Feb	78	2.78	62	48	32
Mar	100	3.22	73	54	50
Apr	74	2.46	55	41	29
May	110	3.54	89	50	58
Jun	98	3.26	68	53	41
Jul	114	3.67	85	63	55
Aug	107	3.45	83	68	45
Sep	114	3.80	85	93	52
Oct	89	2.87	74	53	41
Nov	142	4.73	99	65	81

For the third straight month there have been nearly 200 deaths recorded in the province. In November there were 195 killed. That compared to 218 in October and 193 in September. The number of deaths has been slowly climbing up since the beginning of the year. The make up of those casualties has changed as well. At the start of 2013 nearly half or more of the dead were members of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF). In January for example 39 of the 69 killed were from the ISF, in February 58 of 113 were from the police and army, and in March 60 of the 102 were security force members. In October and November however only 37% and 38% of the fatalities have been from the ISF respectively. The same trend can be seen in the wounded with 52% of the 57 wounded in January, 78% of the 65 in February and 56% of the 119 in March were from the police and army. Starting in June however more civilians have been wounded. In November, there were 251 wounded with 73 coming from the ISF, 29% of the total, and 176 civilians, 70%. The change in emphasis from the police and army to civilians is likely due to the fact that insurgents feel like they have intimidated the ISF enough that now they are trying to impose their will over the general population.

Reported Deaths In Ninewa 2013

Month	Killed	ISF Killed	Civilians Killed	Wounded	ISF Wounded	Civilians Wounded
Jan	69	39	30	57	30	27
Feb	113	58	55	65	51	14
Mar	102	60	40	119	67	52
Apr	85	61	23	94	75	19
May	128	80	48	182	116	66
Jun	122	61	61	228	105	123
Jul	180	103	74	223	99	124
Aug	128	85	41	150	59	89
Sep	193	98	94	236	78-112	135
Oct	218	81	137	339	92	247
Nov	195	76	116	251	73	176

When analyzed by type the vast majority of the attacks in Ninewa for November were low-level. Most were shootings or bombings with just 1-4 killed in each. November 1 for instance a police checkpoint was fired upon killing four officers in Mosul. November 10 a truck carrying members of the Federal Police was shot at leading to one dead and seven wounded in Mosul. November 15 a civilian car was hit by a roadside bomb in Mosul killing three and wounding 4. November 27 two teachers in Mosul were shot down. There were a few exceptions. The deadliest incident of the month occurred on November 8 when a restaurant in Mosul was bombed resulting in 11 killed and 49 wounded. November 10 a café in Mosul was bombed leading to four dead and 16 wounded. November 25 a SWAT base was hit by a suicide car bomb in Mosul with 6 deaths and 23 wounded. The first two incidents might have been retaliation for owners of the businesses refusing to pay protection money to insurgents. Intimidation of the ISF was another major focus of insurgents. November 2 two policemen were kidnapped in Baaj, a third on November 26 in Shura, and a fourth south of Mosul on the same day. Houses of police officers and soldiers have consistently been bombed as well. Two were blown up in Mosul and one in Qaraya on November 8, two soldier’s houses were destroyed in Jihla on November 10, another in Mosul on November 11, and two more in Mosul on November 17, followed by two police officer’s houses on November 26 also in that city. The goal of these attacks is to cow and cajole the populace and security forces. Insurgents are trying to show that not only can the police and army be attacked while they are doing their daily job, but that their families and homes can be targeted as well. Regular people are being hit as well to intimidate them and keep them quite about insurgent activity. The result is that the ISF might be scared to do more than just man checkpoints, and civilians will give in to the extortion and bribery rings that Al Qaeda and others run in Mosul.

Insurgent violence varies across Iraq. In the south there are only a few bombings a month aimed at major cities. In Baghdad mass casualty bombings are the main type of operation using suicide and car bombs. In other governorates like Anbar and Salahaddin militants are going after not only the security forces, but launching major attacks upon city centers, police stations, and government offices. In Ninewa it appears that militants have such sway that they are moving on to intimidation and raising money and don’t feel the need to carry out such headline grabbing acts as they do in the rest of the country. At the same time the number of dead and wounded are mounting in the province. The government has no real solution to this situation. The provincial government is run by the Nujafi family, which has an up and down relationship with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Parts of Mosul and the northern section of the governorate is controlled by the Kurds who rarely coordinate with Baghdad on security. The result is that insurgents will continue to be able to enforce their will in parts of Ninewa.

SOURCES

AIN, "2 civilians killed, injured eastern Mosul," 11/26/13

- "2 teachers killed southern Mosul," 11/27/13

- "5 family members injured southern Mosul," 11/8/13

- "8 IFP elements, civilian wounded in Mosul," 11/10/13

- "Border guard killed eastern Mosul," 11/19/13

- "Border Security Officer killed in Mosul," 11/20/13

- "Child wounded in Mosul," 11/14/13

- "Civilian injured by car bomb explosion southeastern Mosul," 11/11/13

- "Civilian killed in southern Mosul," 11/27/13

- "Civilian killed northern Mosul," 11/12/13

- "Civilian killed northern Mosul," 11/25/13

- "Farmer killed southern Mosul," 11/28/13

- "Former judge assassinated in Mosul," 11/4/13

- "House detonated western Mosul," 11/9/13

- "IA element killed southern Mosul," 11/9/13

- "IA element killed western Mosul," 11/12/13

- "IA postman killed in Mosul," 11/20/13

- "IA soldier killed western Mosul," 11/30/13

- "IA soldiers' houses detonated in southern Mosul," 11/10/13

- "IP injured southern Mosul," 11/14/13

- "IP killed western Mosul," 11/16/13

- "Man, son injured western Mosul," 11/18/13

- "Mayor killed in southern Mosul," 11/30/13

- "Mayor killed western Mosul," 11/26/13

- "Officer, soldier injured western Mosul," 11/21/13

- "Security official survives assassination in Mosul," 11/9/13

- "Shabak citizen killed eastern Mosul," 11/19/13

- "Traffic police officer gunned down eastern Mosul," 11/24/13

- "Urgent…7 gunmen killed while attacking border checkpoint of western Anbar," 11/18/13

- "Urgent…7 Security elements killed, wounded north of Mosul," 11/25/13

- "Urgent…29 Persons killed, wounded in Mosul," 11/25/13

- "Urgent … Former official assassinated in Mosul," 11/12/13

- "Urgent…Nineveh's Governor survives assassination," 11/25/13

- "Woman killed southern Mosul," 11/17/13

Buratha News, "The death of a teacher and wounding two policemen separate two incidents in Mosul," 11/23/13

- "Killed in clashes during the terrorist attack on the house of one of the terrorists elements of the security forces south of Mosul," 11/23/13

Iraq Body Count

Iraq Times, "The bombing of two houses under construction belonging to police east of Mosul," 11/26/13

Al-Mada, "Civilian killed in armed attack west of Mosul," 11/27/13

- "Director of the killing hand bath and fresh when a roadside bomb south of Mosul," 11/29/13

- "Injury to a civilian armed attack east of Mosul," 11/26/13

- "Killed armed attack east of Mosul," 11/26/13

- "Killing and wounding six civilians, when a car bomb west of Mosul," 11/25/13

- "The killing of a college student armed attack east of Mosul," 11/30/13

- "The killing of a member of the organizing pro-owners of an armed attack southeast of Mousl," 11/27/13

- "Mokhtar killed in armed attack in central Mosul," 11/26/13

National Iraqi News Agency, "2 Soldiers killed, 4 wounded south Mosul," 11/17/13

- "2 Soldiers killed in Mosul," 11/25/13

- "2 Soldiers killed west of Mosul," 11/19/13

- "2 Suicide attackers driving 2 car bombs killed west of Mosul," 11/3/13

- "3 Civilians killed in Mosul," 11/27/13

- "3 Policemen killed south of Mosul," 11/12/13

- "/3/ rockets landed in Tall Afar, west of Mosul," 11/21/13

- "4 Policemen killed in Mosul," 11/1/13

- "7 Civilians wounded in Mosul," 11/21/13

- "Badush Prison inspector assassinated," 11/15/13

- "BREAKING NEWS 6 Peshmerga, soldiers killed, wounded north of Mosul," 11/25/13

- "BREAKING NEWS 24 SWAT members, civilians killed, wounded in Mosul," 11/25/13

- "BREAKING NEWS 60 Persons killed, wounded in blowing a restaurant in Mosul," 11/8/13

- "BREAKING NEWS Commander Personalities' Protection Force in Niniveh escapes assassination attempt," 11/14/13

- "BREAKING NEWS Mayor of Hamam Aleel district killed," 11/29/13

- "BREAKING NEWS Regiment commander, 2 policemen, 6 civilians wounded in Mosul," 11/5/13

- "BREAKING NEWS. Senior army officer killed in clashes with gunmen in western Mosul," 11/19/13

- "A civilian killed and three policemen wounded in eastern Mosul," 11/19/13

- "Civilian killed in Mosul," 11/1/13

- "Dawa Party member, 2 soldiers killed in Mosul," 11/24/13

- "An element of Peshmerga killed in eastern Mosul," 11/21/13

- "An employee in IHCE killed in Mosul," 11/3/13

- "Five gunmen killed in clashes with army troops south of Mosul," 11/13/13

- "Five policemen Killed and wounded, west of Mosul," 11/21/13

- "Four houses, belonging to Shabak, blown up in Mosul," 11/14/13

- "Four soldiers killed and wounded, eastern Mosul," 11/14/13

- "Gunmen assassinated two civilians north of Mosul," 11/7/13

- "Gunmen blow up houses of a tribal Sheikh and a Colonel rank police officer in Nineveh," 11/8/13

- "Gunmen kill four officers in Mosul," 11/4/13

- "Gunmen kill three civilian from Azidiah minority in Mosul," 11/28/13

- "Gunmen kill two brothers in Mosul," 11/3/13

- "Gunmen kill two soldiers in Mosul," 11/16/13

- "Gunmen storm high school, kill an employee in Mosul," 11/24/13

- "Imam of a mosque injured,northern Mosul," 11/26/13

- "Killing and wounding six soldiers and civilians in second bombing in Mosul," 11/7/13

- "Mayor of Shabak's village killed southeastern Mosul," 11/22/13

- "Officer and soldier killed, south of Mosul," 11/20/13

- "A photographer killed in Mosul," 11/24/13

- "Police in Mosul killed 2 gunmen who assassinated mosque's imam, preacher," 11/21/13

- "Police officer killed, 5 persons wounded south Mosul," 11/22/13

- "Policeman, civilian killed in Mosul," 11/30/13

- "Policeman, detainee wounded in attack on police station in Mosul," 11/27/13

- "Policeman kidnapped in Mosul," 11/26/13

- "Policeman kidnapped in Mosul," 11/26/13

- "A policeman killed, another one wounded south of Mosul," 11/23/13

- "A policeman killed, another wounded, west of Mosul," 11/28/13

- "Policeman killed, three injured in Mosul," 11/18/13

- "Policeman killed, two civilians wounded in two separate incidents in Mosul," 11/24/13

- "Policeman, Shabak citizen killed in Mosul," 11/18/13

- "Policeman's son killed, his wife injured in Mosul," 11/14/13

-  “Senior police officer, 11 police wounded in Mosul," 11/18/13

- "A soldier killed ,his wife wounded, west of Mosul," 11/11/13

- "Soldier killed, seven police and army wounded in separate incidents in Mosul," 11/2/13

- "Three employees killed, fourth wounded in Mosul," 11/4/13

- "Three police killed, two wounded in Mosul," 11/13/13

- "Three soldiers, a civilian killed and a woman and another civilian wounded," 11/7/13

- "Three soldiers and a policeman wounded in two separate incidents in Mosul," 11/14/13

- "Two local officials escape assassination attempt in Mosul," 11/4/13

- "Two members of facilities Protection assassinated in Mosul," 11/19/13

- "Two policemen killed, a third one wounded ,eastern and central Mosul," 11/13/13

- "Two soldiers killed, four others wounded in Mosul," 11/7/13

- "Unidentified gunmen raid a village and killed two policemen in western Mosul," 11/2/13

- "A woman killed and /6/ people wounded, western Mosul," 11/15/13

- "Young girl killed, 8 family members wounded north of Mosul," 11/19/13

Radio Nawa, "The end of the outcome of the bombing of Tal Afar, when four people dead and 19 injured," 11/23/13

- "Killing one of the elders of the tribe flames and injuring his son, an armed attack south of Mosul," 11/30/13

Al Rayy, "The death of two soldiers led to the fall of the missile south of Mosul," 11/29/13

- "Hijacker killed minutes after he was kidnapped west of Mosul," 11/23/13

- "Found the body of a woman in her twenties with gunshot wounds in eastern Mosul," 11/26/13

- "Gunmen killed a woman and a house south of Mosul," 11/29/13

- "Gunman killed one policeman and wounded after an attack on a police station west of Mosul," 11/27/13

- "Wounding six people, including two policemen in central Mosul blast," 11/21/13