May 2014 saw almost as many casualties in Iraq as April
despite almost 100 fewer attacks. The cause for the decrease was the insurgency
having to re-load and re-supply. It was able to make up for the loss in
activity by launching a wave of car bombs that left behind a huge number of
dead and wounded. This has happened before and represents the current flow of
insurgent activity in Iraq right now as security incidents climb for a month,
then go up and down the next, and then increase again. Despite these
fluctuations the pace of violence has remained relatively stable so far this
year.
April and May showed the pattern of militant attacks. In the
first two weeks of April there were 238 and 223 security incidents followed by
251 from April 15-21. Attacks then declined to 226 in the fourth week and
finished off with 61 in the last two days. The next month started off with 158
attacks, up to 257 May 8-14, down again to 183 from May 15-21, and then rose to
204 May 22-28, before finishing with 63 May 29-31. In total there were 999
attacks in April compared to 905 in May. That averaged out to 33.3 per day in
April followed by 29.1 in May. Despite that decline the number of casualties
remained consistent. There were 1,456 dead in April and 1,468 in May. There
were slightly fewer wounded however going from 2,905 to 2,610. The militants
followed this same patter from February to March. They increased their
operations throughout February, then had to re-stock their supplies in March
resulting in a dip in attacks, and then picked up again in May. That means that
any weekly or monthly decline in deaths and attacks is likely only temporary,
and more importantly points to an increase the following month.
Security Incidents In
Iraq 2014
Date
|
Security
Incidents
|
Killed
|
Wounded
|
Shootings
|
Bombs
|
Car Bombs
|
Suicide
Bombs
|
Jan 1-7
|
245
|
363
|
736
|
121
|
111
|
19
|
7
|
Jan 8-14
|
273
|
364
|
683
|
127
|
131
|
23
|
12
|
Jan 15-21
|
205
|
358
|
616
|
85
|
111
|
33
|
4
|
Jan 22-28
|
236
|
305
|
618
|
106
|
121
|
13
|
10
|
Jan 29-31
|
57
|
93
|
237
|
29
|
28
|
8
|
7
|
Jan
|
1,016
|
1,483
|
2,890
|
468
|
502
|
96
|
40
|
Daily Avg.
|
32.7
|
47.8
|
93.2
|
15.0
|
16.1
|
3.0
|
1.2
|
Feb 1-7
|
204
|
296
|
700
|
107
|
104
|
33
|
17
|
Feb 8-14
|
226
|
258
|
505
|
93
|
126
|
9
|
10
|
Feb 15-21
|
264
|
346
|
703
|
132
|
124
|
22
|
8
|
Feb 22-28
|
251
|
374
|
618
|
110
|
112
|
9
|
8
|
Feb
|
945
|
1,274
|
2,526
|
442
|
466
|
73
|
43
|
Daily Avg.
|
33.7
|
45.5
|
90.2
|
15.7
|
16.6
|
2.6
|
1.5
|
Mar 1-7
|
253
|
412
|
702
|
116
|
172
|
21
|
11
|
Mar 8-14
|
206
|
324
|
612
|
86
|
101
|
9
|
13
|
Mar 15-21
|
216
|
423
|
736
|
87
|
134
|
27
|
11
|
Mar 22-27
|
211
|
279
|
580
|
83
|
113
|
13
|
4
|
Mar 28-31
|
110
|
168
|
271
|
47
|
59
|
3
|
4
|
Mar
|
996
|
1,606
|
2,901
|
419
|
579
|
73
|
43
|
Daily Avg.
|
32.1
|
51.8
|
93.5
|
13.5
|
18.6
|
2.3
|
1.3
|
Apr 1-7
|
238
|
259
|
550
|
95
|
134
|
18
|
12
|
Apr 8-14
|
223
|
362
|
646
|
96
|
119
|
26
|
9
|
Apr 15-21
|
251
|
406
|
786
|
98
|
132
|
20
|
16
|
Apr 22-28
|
226
|
347
|
744
|
79
|
143
|
14
|
24
|
Apr 29-30
|
61
|
82
|
179
|
8
|
55
|
1
|
8
|
Apr
|
999
|
1,456
|
2,905
|
376
|
583
|
79
|
69
|
Daily Avg.
|
33.3
|
48.5
|
96.8
|
12.5
|
19.4
|
2.6
|
2.3
|
May 1-7
|
198
|
246
|
483
|
88
|
82
|
13
|
9
|
May 8-14
|
257
|
469
|
752
|
102
|
148
|
25
|
10
|
May 15-21
|
183
|
256
|
426
|
85
|
94
|
10
|
6
|
May 22-28
|
204
|
407
|
817
|
71
|
155
|
25
|
14
|
May 29-31
|
63
|
90
|
132
|
24
|
36
|
3
|
-
|
May
|
905
|
1,468
|
2,610
|
370
|
515
|
76
|
39
|
Daily Avg.
|
29.1
|
47.3
|
84.1
|
11.9
|
16.6
|
2.4
|
1.2
|
Total
|
4,861
|
7,287
|
13,832
|
2,075
|
2,645
|
397
|
234
|
Daily Avg.
|
32.1
|
48.2
|
91.6
|
13.7
|
17.5
|
2.6
|
1.5
|
In May each dip in the number of attacks was followed by a
jump in casualties caused by a surge in car bombs. Deaths went from 246 May 1-7
to 469 May 8-14 then down to 256 May 15-21, up again to 407 May 22-28, before
finishing with 81 May 29-31. 469 was the most fatalities in any week of the
year so far. The main cause was a string of car bombings every other week. For
the four weeks of the month they went from 13 to 25 to 10 to 25. These
represented the last three waves of vehicle borne IEDs (VBIEDs) by the Islamic
State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS). The first wave started May 3 with a
bombing in Jazeera, Salahaddin. May 4 four VBIEDs went off in Anbar, Ninewa and
Salahaddin, and then three more the next day, followed by four in Anbar on May
6. That wave ended with two bombs in Anbar and Ninewa on May 7. There was a two
day break until the next campaign was started with car bombs in three parts of
Baghdad and Dujail in Salahaddin on May 10. There were two more on May 11, and
then four on May 12. This all culminated on May 13 with bombs in 12 parts of
Baghdad along with Kirkuk and Salahaddin that left 54 dead and 128 wounded.
There was a slight dip with just one VBIED in Ninewa on May 14, but then six
the next day with 24 killed and 78 injured. That wave slowly faded with two car
bombs in Ninewa on May 16, and then one each on May 17 and 18 in Mosul. May 20
marked the next wave with explosions in Anbar, Babil and Salahaddin. There was
just one in Ninewa on May 21, but then seven across Anbar, Baghdad, Ninewa and
Salahaddin on May 22 costing 42 lives and 84 wounded. May 23 two bombs went off
in Mosul, and then three in Anbar, Kirkuk and Salahaddin, three in Ninewa and
Salahaddin May 25, with a nadir on May 26 with one in Anbar and two in Mosul on
May 27 before seven in Baghdad and Ninewa May 28 resulting in 55 killed and 118
wounded. Finally May 31 marked the start of a new campaign with bombings in
Baghdad, Ninewa and Tikrit. In total there were 289 fatalities and 687 injured
from these attacks, which were some of the deadliest incidents of the entire
year. Again the number of VBIEDs is only part of the story. Where they are placed
can determine the number of casualties they cause. The repeated penetrations
into the capital city are usually the costliest because they are often placed
in highly populated areas like markets or aimed at the Shiite pilgrimages that occur
throughout the year such as the one in May to Kadhimiya. They also highlight
the capabilities of ISIS to penetrate the city’s security apparatus. Reaching
Baghdad is the ultimate goal of the Islamic State and other insurgent groups. ISIS
has been able to move its fighters into the periphery so far, but not into the
city itself in any large numbers. Until then it will continue sending wave
after wave of car bombs aimed at the capital.
Car Bombs In Iraq May
2014
Date
|
Location
|
Dead
|
Wounded
|
5/1/14
|
Ramadi
Anbar
|
||
5/2/14
|
|||
5/3/14
|
Jazeera
Salahaddin
|
||
5/4/14
|
4
|
16
|
|
5/5/14
|
6
|
19
|
|
5/6/14
|
4
|
8
|
|
5/7/14
|
5
|
10
|
|
5/8/14
|
|||
5/9/14
|
|||
5/10/14
|
30
|
40
|
|
5/11/14
|
4
|
10
|
|
5/12/14
|
18
|
27
|
|
5/13/14
|
54
|
128
|
|
5/14/14
|
Rabia
Ninewa
|
3
|
|
5/15/14
|
24
|
78
|
|
5/16/14
|
5
|
8
|
|
5/17/14
|
Mosul
Ninewa
|
4
|
8
|
5/18/14
|
Mosul
Ninewa
|
4
|
2
|
5/19/14
|
|||
5/20/14
|
6
|
23
|
|
5/21/14
|
Zangili
Ninewa
|
5
|
|
5/22/14
|
42
|
84
|
|
5/23/14
|
Mosul x2
Ninewa
|
13
|
|
5/24/14
|
14
|
44
|
|
5/25/14
|
7
|
34
|
|
5/26/14
|
Hit Anbar
|
4
|
|
5/27/14
|
Mosul x2
Ninewa
|
3
|
3
|
5/28/14
|
55
|
118
|
|
5/29/14
|
|||
5/30/14
|
|||
5/31/14
|
2
|
When broken down by province central Iraq remained the
center of the conflict. Baghdad had 244 attacks in May with 493 killed and
1,020 wounded. Ninewa, Salahaddin, and Anbar were next with 183, 180, and 139
incidents respectively. Of those three, Anbar had the most casualties with 301
deaths and 560 injured. Government shelling of Fallujah, which cost the lives
of 211 and injured another 420, however caused approximately two-thirds of
those. Salahaddin had 237 deaths and Ninewa had 204 as well. After that Babil
and Diyala had roughly the same number of incidents with 56 and 59 each. Babil
has exploded since the security forces unsuccessfully tried to clear the
northern section of the governorate back in February. There are still on going
operations there, but they haven’t shown much more success than the previous
ones. Rather there are more and more casualties there with the Iraqi Security
Forces (ISF) feeling the brunt of them with 59 out of 85 dead and 123 out of
170 wounded in May. Diyala on the other hand had 79 deaths and 89 injured.
After that Tamim has remained largely out of the fighting although insurgent
groups are active there. There were only 24 incidents, 42 killed and 64 wounded
there last month. Those were the fewest figures in each category seen this
year. After that there were a few scattered attacks in Basra, Dhi Qar, Karbala,
Maysan, Qadisiyah and Wasit, which represent southern Iraq. There were two IEDs
amongst those six governorates, but most incidents were shootings, and could
have arisen from disputes between political parties, gangs or militias.
Security Incidents
Across Iraq 2014
Province
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Anbar
|
241 Attacks
300 Killed
730 Wounded
|
173 Attacks
184 Killed
437 Wounded
|
213 Attacks
343 Killed
627 Wounded
|
181 Attacks
271 Killed
555 Wounded
|
139 Attacks
301 Killed
560 Wounded
|
Babil
|
27 Attacks
11 Killed
51 Wounded
|
41 Attacks
110 Killed
260 Wounded
|
40 Attacks
117 Killed
269 Wounded
|
49 Attacks
89 Killed
197 Wounded
|
56 Attacks
85 Killed
170 Wounded
|
Baghdad
|
251 Attacks
557 Killed
1,187 Wounded
|
204 Attacks
363 Killed
851 Wounded
|
233 Attacks
384 Killed
947 Wounded
|
215 Attacks
424 Killed
924 Wounded
|
244 Attacks
493 Killed
1,020 Wounded
|
Basra
|
4 Attacks
3 Killed
1 Wounded
|
7 Attacks
6 Killed
|
7 Attacks
7 Killed
|
16 Attacks
15 Killed
1 Wounded
|
15 Attacks
15 Killed
1 Wounded
|
Dhi Qar
|
2 Attacks
1 Killed
1 Wounded
|
1 Attack
1 Killed
4 Wounded
|
1 Attack
1 Killed
|
-
|
1 Attack
1 Killed
|
Diyala
|
70 Attacks
156 Killed
150 Wounded
|
65 Attacks
72 Killed
138 Wounded
|
71 Attacks
113 Killed
159 Wounded
|
70 Attacks
117 Killed
233 Wounded
|
59 Attacks
79 Killed
89 Wounded
|
Karbala
|
-
|
2 Attacks
5 Killed
5 Wounded
|
1 Attack
4 Killed
15 Wounded
|
1 Attacks
3 Killed
|
1 Attack
1 Killed
|
Maysan
|
3 Attacks
2 Killed
|
2 Attacks
2 Killed
|
1 Attack
1 Killed
|
2 Attacks
6 Killed
17 Wounded
|
1 Attack
1 Killed
|
Muthanna
|
1 Attack
1 Killed
|
-
|
-
|
1 Attack
7 Killed
35 Wounded
|
-
|
Najaf
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Ninewa
|
170 Attacks
171 Killed
191 Wounded
|
184 Attacks
206 Killed
277 Wounded
|
180 Attacks
192 Killed
260 Wounded
|
186 Attacks
243 Killed
358 Wounded
|
183 Attacks
204 Killed
372 Wounded
|
Qadisiyah
|
1 Attack
1 Killed
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1 Attack
1 Wounded
|
Salahaddin
|
190 Attacks
239 Killed
420 Wounded
|
193 Attacks
283 Killed
466 Wounded
|
192 Attacks
406 Killed
508 Wounded
|
204 Attacks
190 Killed
362 Wounded
|
180 Attacks
237 Killed
330 Wounded
|
Tamim
|
50 Attacks
37 Killed
151 Wounded
|
71 Attacks
40 Killed
85 Wounded
|
52 Attacks
29 Killed
102 Wounded
|
68 Attacks
70 Killed
176 Wounded
|
24 Attacks
42 Killed
64 Wounded
|
Wasit
|
6 Attacks
4 Killed
8 Wounded
|
2 Attacks
2 Killed
3 Wounded
|
5 Attacks
9 Killed
14 Wounded
|
6 Attacks
21 Killed
47 Wounded
|
1 Attack
|
May highlighted the abilities of the insurgency, and specifically
ISIS to cause a huge amount of casualties despite dips in their operations. The
ups and downs week to week during the month meant that the averages for attacks
and casualties were all down, but the total number of dead and wounded was
about the same as the previous month. That was due to the three waves of car
bombs launched by ISIS. The group shows no slowing down meaning that the coming
months are likely to be just as deadly if not more so.
SOURCES
AIN, "3 Car bombs explode in Heet," 5/6/14
- "11 persons killed, injured southern Mosul," 5/12/14
- "13 persons killed, injured due to car bombing in
al-Baladiyat area," 5/13/14
- "Car bomb explodes in Salah-il-Din," 5/25/14
- "Car bomb explodes in Samarra," 5/4/14
- "Casualties of eastern Tikrit bombing rise to 60 deaths,
injuries," 5/5/14
- "Urgent…Tarmiya bombing casualties increase," 5/12/14
Associated Press, "Attacks in Iraq kill at least 29
people," 5/22/14
- "Car bomb blasts kill 34 as Iraqis await vote count,"
5/13/14
Aswat al-Iraq, "3 soldiers killed, 9+ wounded in north
Tikrit," 5/20/14
- "5 soldiers, Sahwa killed, 6+ wounded south Beiji,"
5/13/14
Buratha News, "Martyrdom and wounding at least 20 people in a
suicide bombing south of Tikrit," 5/10/14
Farj, Salam, "Iraq attacks kill 38 as 2014 toll tops
4,000," Agence France Presse, 5/28/14
Al Forat, "2 civilians killed northern Babel," 5/20/14
- "2 citizens killed in Mosul," 5/21/14
- "2 injured in car bombing hits eastern Mosul," 5/15/14
- "2 persons injured in Amil's neighborhood bombing,"
5/13/14
- "4 IAs injured northern Salah il-Din," 5/5/14
- "5 Policemen killed, wounded northern Ramadi," 5/5/14
- "Anbar: Suicide bombing followed by violent clashes,"
5/1/14
- "Car bomb explodes in Baiji," 5/22/14
- "Car bomb goes off in Tikrit," 5/31/14
- "Car bombing injures 7 in Baiji," 5/24/14
- "IA force kills Suicide bomber in Mosul," 5/5/14
- "Tuz Khurmatu bombing death toll hits 18 deaths,
injuries," 5/5/14
Iraq Times, "13 injured in two car bombs in central
Mosul," 5/23/14
- "The death and wounding of 20 policeman in an explosion
targeting the federal police headquarters in Mosul," 5/26/14
- "The death of six soldiers and the kidnappings of four
others in armed attack southwest of Kirkuk," 5/13/14
- "Toll rises car bomb attack in Sadr City in eastern
Baghdad," 5/28/14
- "Wounding four soldiers detonated a car bomb west of
Ramadi," 5/26/14
Al Jazeera, "Many dead in fresh wave of violence in Iraq,
"5/10/14
- "Shia pilgrims killed in Iraq bombings," 5/22/14
Karim, Ammar, "25 killed in Iraq as Shiites throng Baghdad
for rituals," Agence France Presse, 5/24/14
Al Mada, "100 killed or wounded in the bombing of the nine
car bombs in Baghdad," 5/13/14
- "Kadhimiya bombing toll rises to 68 dead and wounded,"
5/28/14
- "Killing and injuring six policemen detonation of a suicide
car bomb north of Ramadi," 5/4/14
- "Killing and wounding 13 members of the army and the police
in a suicide car bomb attack in Tarmiya," 5/12/14
- "Killing and wounding 23 people in explosion of two car
bombs east of center of Baghdad," 5/13/14
- "Killing and wounding nine people, a car bomb west of
Baghdad," 5/13/14
- "Killing and wounding nine people in detonation of a car
bomb northeast of Baghdad," 5/12/14
- "Killing and wounding seven soldiers in a suicide bombing
that targeted a checkpoint north of Tikrit," 5/20/14
- "Toll rises in bombing of the al-Jihad neighborhood in
western Baghdad to 21 people dead and wounded," 5/28/14
- "Toll rises in car bombing in Sadr City to 29 dead and
wounded," 5/27/14
- "Toll rises in suicide bombing in Mosul to eight dead and
wounded," 5/16/14
- "Wounded three policemen by a car bomb targeting their
headquarters west of Mosul," 5/14/14
- "Wounding five soldiers, including a civilian in detonation
of a car bomb targeting an army patrol west of Mosul," 5/28/14
NINA, "4 civilians killed and wounding three policemen, west
of Anbar," 5/24/14
- "Army kills a suicide bomber in Baghdad," 5/11/14
- "Breaking News…/7/ soldiers killed and wounded by a car
bomb driven by a suicide bomber western Anbar," 5/6/14
- "Breaking News…A second car bomb driven by a suicide bomber
in Anbar," 5/6/14
- "A car bomb was trying to break into a security checkpoint
detonated in Ramadi," 5/22/14
- "Death Toll of the suicide attack in Mosul rose to 21
policemen and civilians killed and wounded," 5/25/14
- "Four civilians wounded in northern Mosul," 5/7/14
- "Four police injured in Anbar," 5/20/14
- "Four policemen wounded by a roadside bomb south of
Mosul," 5/15/14
- "Interior Ministry: The explosion north of Baghdad, targeted
a vehicle of the army and led to the killing of 5 soldiers and wounding others,
including civilians," 5/10/14
- "Nine people killed, three others wounded in a suicide
bomber north of Tikrit," 5/12/14
- "Suicide bomber attack a hospital in Anbar, kills and
injures 11 soldiers and police," 5/7/14
- "A suicide bomber was targeting visitors of Imam Ali
al-Hadi killed in Salhuddin," 5/3/14
- "Toll of victims of the bombing of Balad up to 27 killed
and wounded," 5/13/14
- "Toll of victims of the two attacks in Karrada area up to
56 killed and wounded," 5/15/14
- "Two civilians killed, seven injured in a car bomb
explosion in Baghdad," 5/15/14
- "Two policemen and a civilian killed and wounding three
civilians, west of Mosul," 5/27/14
- "Two soldiers, a civilian killed, two civilians wounded in
a car bomb in Mosul," 5/15/14
Radio Nawa, "The end of the outcome of the bombing in the
center of Mosul at four dead and ten injured," 5/11/14
Al Rafidayn, "Tight security measures in the vicinity of the
Green Zone after the fall of about 70 people dead and wounded," 5/13/14
Al Rayy, "The death of one soldier and sounding seven others,
and an officer in a car bombing west of Mosul," 5/4/14
- "Martyrdom and wounding 14 people in a car bomb explosion
in the granular," 5/10/14
- "Martyrdom and wounding eight people, including police
officers in two separate incidents in Mosul," 5/22/14
- "Martyrdom and wounding five policemen by a car bomb south
of Mosul," 5/16/14
- "Martyrdom and wounding seven soldiers, including an officer
in bomb west of Mosul," 5/5/14
- "Wounding a civilian by a car bomb in eastern Mosul,"
5/31/14
- "Wounding a civilian by a car bomb targeting the house of
police officer in central Baghdad," 5/31/14
Salah, Amjad, "Officer was killed and a policeman and
wounding a policeman proceeds of a suicide bombing west of Mosul,"
Alsumaria, 5/28/14
Salman, Duraid, Ammar, Tarek, "Two civilians injured by a car
bomb amidst Babylon," Alsumaria, 5/20/14
Techsonia, "9 Killed In Two Separate Bombings In Iraq,"
5/17/14
Yacoub, Sameer, "Attacks around Iraq's capital kill 29
people," Associated Press, 5/15/14
- "Bombing, shootings kill 5 people in Iraq," Associated
Press, 5/5/14
- "Bombings, shooting kill 13 people northern in Iraq,"
Associated Press, 5/20/14
- "Officials say attacks across Iraq kill 14,"
Associated Press, 5/18/14
Xinhua, "29 killed in wave of attacks across Iraq,"
5/4/14
- "59 people killed in attack across Iraq," 5/29/14
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