Changing Battlefield In Iraq Leads To Reduction Of Car Bombs

On July 22, 2014 two car bombs went off in Baghdad, one in Nahrawan and another in Kadhimiya, which left 23 dead and 63 wounded. Every week of 2014 the Islamic State (IS) has set off vehicle borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs) in Iraq. The purpose of these explosions was two fold. In places like Baghdad and southern Iraq the goal was to cause sectarian tensions with the hopes of restarting the civil war so that the government would collapse and IS would be able to fill the subsequent vacuum. In other areas like Anbar, Salahaddin, and Ninewa the Islamic State went after the security forces and officials as well as the general public to undermine the authorities. The recent bombings would seem to point to business as usual, but the recent gains by the insurgency has changed the environment and led to a decrease in car bombs over the last few weeks as well as a change in the places being hit.

The number of VBIEDs each month has gone dramatically down since the insurgent offensive in June. For the first five months of 2014 IS launched around 80-90 car bombs a month. January saw the most with 96, followed by 84 in February, 82 in March, 79 in April, and 81 in May. That averaged out to 2.7 car bombs a day. Then when the summer offensive started in June with the fall of Mosul the number of VBIEDs dropped off to 58 in June and 29 in the first three weeks of July for an average of 1.7 per day.

Aftermath of a car bombing in Jihad, Baghdad, July 19 (EFE/EPA)

For most of the year car bombs have come in waves. First there are a few days of explosions, then a large number usually occurring across several provinces at once, then declining followed by a small break and then repeating. The first two weeks of January were a perfect example. The first two days of the month were the end of the last cycle from December. There were two car bombs on January 1, one in Rutba, Anbar and another in Mosul, Ninewa, and then two more on January 2 in Ramadi, Anbar and Baladrooz, Diyala. January 3 and 4 there were no VBIEDs before the next wave started. On January 5 there were 5 car bombs in Baghdad, then five on January 6 in Kirkuk and Salahaddin, and finally 3 on January 7 in Kirkuk and Salahaddin. The attacks then tapered off with one in Ramadi on January 8, two in Anbar on January 9, and then one in Ramadi on January 10, which marked the end. A three day break followed before the next wave started on January 14 with a VBIED in Saqlawiya, Anbar. The pattern began to change in June however as the insurgents went on the offensive. At the beginning of the month there were 12 straight days of bombings across Iraq marking the run up and start of the militants’ large-scale operations. There were six on June 2 in Anbar, Babil, Baghdad, Dhi Qar, Najaf and Salahaddin. One in Anbar on June 3, seven on June 4 in Baghdad, Babil, Kirkuk, and Salahaddin, six on June 5 in Baghdad, Kirkuk, and Salahaddin, three on June 6 in Diyala and Ninewa, nine on June 7 in Anbar and Baghdad, two on June 8 in Diyala and Salahaddin, three on June 9 in Diyala, Ninewa, and Salahaddin, five on June 10 in Anbar, Baghdad and Diyala, five on June 11 in Babil, Baghdad, Basra, Karbala, and Wasit, and then one on June 12 in Diyala, and one in Salahaddin on June 13. There were bombings off and on from June 15-25, before an eight day break from June 26 to July 3. These explosions were aimed at targets that the insurgents were going to attack during their summer offensive like Kirkuk and Baiji, while also hitting the capital and south to raise sectarian tensions. The militants were probably caught off guard by their own success after the fall of Mosul, and had a period of re-planning going on as some of their targets might have fallen into their hands. From July 4 to 11 there were sporadic VBIEDs again and then a two-day break. Then from July 14-21 there were bombings every day. Again these were a mix of frontline cities such as Ramadi and Samarra, and the capital as well. From the start of the year to the present IS has changed its goals. At first, the car bombs were aimed at undermining the local authorities in northern and central Iraq, while attacking Baghdad and the south to raise tensions between Sunnis and Shiites. Since June there are still some forays into the south and Baghdad, but more VBIEDs are on tactical targets on the frontline between the militants and government forces. Since the insurgents took most of Ninewa, and half of Kirkuk and Salahaddin there are also less cities for the Islamic State to bomb. That explains why there are fewer VBIEDs in the last several weeks.

 

January 1-14, 2014 Car Bombs in Iraq

Date	Location	Dead	Wounded
Jan 1	Rutba – Anbar, Mosul – Ninewa	6	12
Jan 2	Ramadi – Anbar, Baladrooz – Diyala	19	37
Jan 3
Jan 4
Jan 5	Jamila, Suq al-Arabi, Sadr City, Shaab x2 – Baghdad	22	61
Jan 6	Hawija – Kirkuk, Shirqat & Tuz Kharmato x3 – Salahaddin	8	30
Jan 7	Kirkuk – Kirkuk, Samarra & Tikrit – Salahaddin	7	75
Jan 8	Ramadi – Anbar,	2	5
Jan 9	Ramadi & Albu Ghanem – Anbar	7	12
Jan 10	Ramadi – Anbar	1	1
Jan 11
Jan 12
Jan 13
Jan 14	Saqlawiya – Anbar

June to July 21, 2014 Car Bomb In Iraq

Date	Location	Dead	Wounded
Jun 1
Jun 2	Outside Ramadi – Anbar, Iskandiriya – Babil, Meshahda – Baghdad, Nasiriyah – Dhi Qar, Najaf – Najaf,  Tarmiya – Salahaddin	25	118
Jun 3	Outside Ramadi - Anbar	2	2
Jun 4	Hilla – Babil, Adhamiya – Baghdad, Kirkuk x2 – Kirkuk, Baiji, Sulaiman Bek & Tuz Kharmato – Salahaddin	35	101
Jun 5	Jamila & Shaab – Baghdad, Kirkuk – Kirkuk, Shirqat, Baiji, Tikrit – Salahaddin	12	27
Jun 6	Baquba – Diyala, Bartella & Kawir – Ninewa	26	44
Jun 7	Outside of Ramadi & Ramadi x2 - Anbar, Karrada, Sabi Bakr, Baya, New Baghdad, Amil & Ur – Baghdad	23	91
Jun 8	Jalawla – Diyala, Tikrit – Salahaddin	23	75
Jun 9	Kanan – Diyala, Mosul – Ninewa, Tuz Kharmato – Salahaddin	36	204
Jun 10	Amiriya Fallujah, Habbaniya & Rutba – Anbar, Ur – Baghdad, Baquba – Diyala	8	27
Jun 11	? – Babil, Kadhimiya – Baghdad, Safwan – Basra, Kanafsa – Karbala, Numaniya – Wasit	34	77
Jun 12	Muqtadiya – Diyala	2	5
Jun 13	Tarmiya – Salahaddin	3	7
Jun 14
Jun 15	Bab al-Sharqi – Baghdad	12	29
Jun 16
Jun 17	Sadr City – Baghdad	11	40
Jun 18
Jun 19	New Baghdad – Baghdad	2	8
Jun 20
Jun 21
Jun 22	Husaybah – Anbar	7	7
Jun 23	Jalawla – Diyala	3	3
Jun 24	? – Anbar	1	1
Jun 25	Kirkuk – Kirkuk
Jun 26
Jun 27
Jun 28
Jun 29
Jun 30
Jul 1
Jul 2
Jul 3
Jul 4	South of Tikrit – Salahaddin	16	39
Jul 5	Basrax2 – Basra	10	8
Jul 6
Jul 7	Khadimiya – Baghdad,	7	21
Jul 8	Samarra – Salahaddin	6	6
Jul 9	Hilla & Imam x2 – Babil	4	11
Jul 10
Jul 11	Canal St – Baghdad, Camp Khalid & Kirkuk – Kirkuk	31	33
Jul 12
Jul 13
Jul 14	Alawi & Baya – Baghdad, Qara Tapa – Diyala	8	40
Jul 15	Sadr Cityx2 – Baghdad, Samarrax2 – Salahaddin	23	80
Jul 16	Ramadi – Anbar	5	10
Jul 17	Taji – Salahaddin	6	23
Jul 18	Hit to Haditha road – Anbar, Balad – Salahaddin	6	3
Jul 19	Abu Dishir, Baya, Jihad, Elam, Kadhmiya – Baghdad,	28	90
Jul 20	Rutba – Anbar		4
Jul 21	Ramadi – Anbar	1	5

Car Bombs in Iraq 2014

Date	Anbar	Babil	Baghdad	Basra	Dhi Qar	Diyala	Karbala	Kirkuk	Maysan	Muthanna	Najaf	Ninewa	Qadisiyah	Salahaddin	Wasit	Total
Jan 1-7	2		5			1		2				1		7		18
Jan 8-14	6		9					3				3		2		23
Jan 15-21			24					2						7		33
Jan 22-28	2		6					3						2		13
Jan 29-31	2		5											1		8
JAN	12		49			1		10				4		19		95
Feb 1-7	1	2	24			1						2		3	1	34
Feb 8-14		1	4									3		1		9
Feb 15-21	1	6	7			3		11						4		32
Feb 22-28			3			1		1						4		9
FEB	2	9	38			5		12				5		12	1	84
Mar 1-7	2	3	10					1				2		2	1	21
Mar 8-14	3		5									6		1		15
Mar 15-21	1	4	8			2	1	2				2		4	2	26
Mar 22-27			6			2						3		2		13
Mar 28-31	3	1	2									1				6
MAR	9	8	31			4	1	3				14		9	3	82
Apr 1-7	4	5										3		6		18
Apr 8-14		2	12			1		1	1			2		2	5	26
Apr 15-21	4	1	8							2		3		1	1	20
Apr 22-28	2	1	4					3				2		2		14
Apr 29-30	1															1
APR	11	9	24			1		4	1	2		10		11	6	79
May 1-7	9											1		3		13
May 8-14			18					1				3		3		25
May 15-21	1	2	3									8		1		10
May 22-28	3		8			1						10		3		25
May 29-31			1									1		1		3
MAY	13	2	30			1		1				23		11		81
Jun 1-7	5	2	11		1	1		3			1	3		6		33
Jun 8-14	3	1	2	1		4	1					1		4	1	18
Jun 15-21			3													3
Jun 22-28	2					1		1								4
Jun 29-30																-
JUN	10	3	16	1	1	6	1	4			1	4		10	1	58
Jul 1-7			1	2										1		4
Jul 8-14		3	3			1		2						1		10
Jul 15-21	4		7											4		15
TOTALS	61	34	199	3	1	19	2	36	1	2	1	60	-	78	11	508
Date	Anbar	Babil	Baghdad	Basra	Dhi Qar	Diyala	Karbala	Tamim	Maysan	Muthanna	Najaf	Ninewa	Qadisiyah	Salahaddin	Wasit	Total

Car bombs are still a prized tool of the Islamic State, but they are being used for different purposes now. At the beginning of the year IS was using them to sow dissension within the country. Now that it has moved into a mix of conventional and guerrilla warfare and seized large swaths of territory the organization is using VBIEDs for some other means. There are still attacks upon Shiite targets like Sadr City in Baghdad, but now cities that IS is hoping to conquer are being targeted as well to soften them. It is also launching fewer car bombs, but over longer periods of time changing the pattern from the short waves that were seen at the beginning of the year. VBIEDs therefore have gone from a means of terror to being increasingly used as a tactical battlefield weapon.

SOURCES

Abdul-Zahra, Qassim and Salaheddin, Sinan, "Iraqis battle militant uprising in 2 Sunni cities," Associated Press, 1/2/14

Agence France Presse, "Bombings in Shiite areas of Iraq kill 37," 6/11/14

- "Bombings kill eight in Iraq," 7/8/14

- "Iraq Kurds claim oilfields as bombings kill 28," 7/11/14

AIN, "3rd car bomb goes off central Hilla," 7/9/14

- "19 persons killed, injured in Tuz Khurmatu," 1/6/14

- "Car bomb goes off southern Samarra," 7/8/14

- "Officer killed, 3 security elements injured in Beiji," 6/4/14

Alsumaria, "3 killed, 57 wounded in suicide truck bombing in N. Iraq," 1/7/14

- "18 dead and injured in bombings in Qaratapa northeast of Baquba," 7/15/14

- "20 dead and 55 wounded in the outcome of suicide bombing of Kazimiyah," 7/22/14

- "Dead and wounded by a car bomb north of Kirkuk," 6/25/14

- "Detonated a truck bomb on Kawir bridge northeast of Mosul," 6/6/14

- "The explosion of a car bomb driven by a suicide bomber on Japanese Bridge northeast of Ramadi," 6/2/14

- "Found 20 unidentified bodies in the Tigris River near Samarra," 7/18/14

- "Interior announces the death of 11 people and injuring 53 others the outcome of three bombings in Baghdad," 7/19/14

- "The outcome of the end of the bombing south of Kirkuk, 32 people dead and wounded," 7/11/14

Associated Press, "Bombings kill 20 in Baghdad," 1/5/14

- "Double bombing at party office kills 19 in Iraq," 6/8/14

Aswat al-Iraq, "8 civilians injured south of Baqouba city," 6/10/14

- "9 persons killed, 35+ wounded in two explosions in Baghdad," 1/5/14

- "30 killed, 28 wounded in Kirkuk explosion," 7/12/14

BBC, "Iraq university hostages' ordeal ends in Ramadi," 6/7/14

Buratha News, "The bombing of the bridge link between Habbaniyah and Saqlawiyah west of Fallujah by car bomb," 6/10/14

- "Director of police station and relative of Abu Risha escapes assassination attempt when car bomb detonated in Ramadi," 1/8/14

- "Four civilians were wounded by a car bomb in the neighborhood of Kirkuk military said," 6/6/14

- "Four police officers inured by a car bomb at the entrance to the University of Tikrit," 6/5/14

- "The high number of victims in the explosion at Alexandria leads to 13 deaths and injuries to people," 6/2/14

- "Martyrdom and injury of a number of elements of the army blown up "Hummer military bomb" south west of Ramadi," 6/7/14

- "Martyrdom and wounding 12 people in bombings and armed attacks in different parts of Baghdad," 7/11/14

- "Martyrdom and wounding 15 soldiers and police in a suicide bombing on a temporary headquarters of the Army west of Mosul," 6/9/14

- "Martyrdom and wounding 42 people, the preliminary outcome of a suicide bombing in Bab al-Sheikh district in central Baghdad," 6/15/14

- "Martyrdom and wounding eight soldiers blown up by a suicide car bomb north of Tikrit," 6/5/14

- "Martyrdom and wounding seven people blown up in a car bomb in Shaab district in northeastern Baghdad," 6/5/14

- "Martyrdom and wounding seven civilians in a car bombing in Muqdadiyah," 6/12/14

- "The martyrdom of one of the leaders of the Awakening and 3 civilians and wounding five others injured when a car bomb targeting his house in Tuz Khurmatu, east of Tikrit," 1/6/14

- "The outcome of the end of the Hilla bombing yesterday at 68 martyrs and wounded," 6/5/14

Al Forat, "9 civilians killed, injured northern Baghdad," 6/7/14

- "9 policemen killed, injured in Salman Bek's suicide bombing," 6/4/14

- "Another car bombing hits downtown Kirkuk," 6/4/14

- "Casualties due to Samarra car bombs reach 41 deaths, injuries," 7/15/14

- "Death toll: 13 deaths, 8 injuries in Kirkuk bombing," 6/4/14

Ibrahim, Marwan, "Checkpoint blasts kill 21 in northern Iraq," Agence France Presse, 6/9/14

Independent Press Agency, "28 killed and wounded in the final outcome of the bombing of Kazimiyah," 7/7/14

- "Communication Station bomb targeting wetlands of the civil aviation facility," 6/24/14

- "Killing and wounding 29 people outcome of a suicide bombing south of Baghdad," 7/19/14

Iraq Times, "69 martyrs and wounded is the outcome of the bombing of police station downtown Kirkuk," 1/7/14

- "The end of the outcome of the bombing in Sedea, Baya at 25 martyrs and wounded," 7/19/14

- "Martyrdom and wounding 13 people, the bombing targeting Alwa eastern Baghdad," 6/5/14

- "Martyrdom and wounding 18 civilians in a car bombing north of Kut," 6/11/14

- "Martyrdom and wounding 18 in explosion of two car bombs in central Basra," 7/5/14

- “Martyrdom and wounding 20 people in a car bombing in downtown Nasiriyah," 6/2/14

- "Martyrdom and wounding 20 worshippers targeting Shiite shrine in the neighborhood of Ur," 6/7/14

- "Martyrdom and wounding 21 civilians by a car bomb in western Baghdad Bayaa," 6/7/14

- "Martyrdom and wounding 35 civilians in a car bombing in downtown Kazimiyah," 7/19/14

- "Martyrdom and wounding 52 people in two car explosions in Sadr City in eastern Baghdad," 7/15/14

- "Martyrdom and wounding 54 soldiers in a suicide bombing at a military camp south of Tikrit," 7/4/14

- "Martyrdom and wounding at least 20 civilians in a car bombing in central Baghdad," 7/14/14

- "Martyrdom and wounding seven policemen in a suicide bombing in Baiji," 6/5/14

- "Martyrdom and wounding ten civilians by a car bomb north of Hilla," 6/2/14

- "martyrs and wounded toll initial burst of Sadr City 51," 6/17/14

- "Suicide bomber blows himself up inside the headquarters of the army continued to lead the operations of the Tikrit in Baiji," 1/6/14

Al Jazeera, "Deaths in fresh wave of Iraq violence," 6/4/14

Al-Khafaji, Osama, "Killing two soldiers and wounding nine others, suicide bombing on checkpoint north of Baghdad," Alsumaria, 6/2/14

Al Mada, "20 dead and injured in the bombing of Safwan, southwest of Basra," 6/11/14

- "Baghdad bombings toll rises to 96 dead and wounded," 7/19/14

- "The fall of six elements of the security forces in mortar and car bomb in on going clashes near the Directorate of Intelligence and Investigations central Baquba," 6/6/14

- "Killed and injured 11 in a bomb blast in eastern Baghdad," 7/22/14

- "Killing and injuring at least 11 people detonated a car bomb near a market," 1/5/14

- "Killing and injuring at least 13 people blown up in a car bomb in eastern Baghdad was the third this day," 1/5/14

- "Killing and injuring eight people by a car bomb southwest of Baghdad in the second such incident today," 7/14/14

-"Killing and injuring seven policemen in an armed attack on Awakening central Ramadi," 7/16/14

- "Killing and wounding at least eight soldiers blown up by a suicide car bomb north of Baghdad," 6/2/14

- "Killing and wounding nine elements of the "SWAT" suicide bombing north of Ramadi," 1/9/14

- "Najaf Health confirms killing and injuring 21 people in neighborhood blown up," 6/2/14

- "Two injured in a suicide bombing of the Peshmerga forces west of Kirkuk," 7/11/14

- "Wounding five civilians in a car bomb explosion south-west of Baquba," 6/10/14

Al Masalah, "18 dead and 45 wounded..final outcome of the suicide bombing which targeted a checkpoint in Kazemiya," 6/11/14

- "Bombing targeting a police officer's house kills 2 and injured 5," 1/8/14

- "Civilian killed and another wounded when a car bomb in Ramadi," 1/10/14

- "Deaths of six policemen and wounding three others by a suicide bomber south of Tikrit," 7/18/14

- "Killed 12 civilians and wounded 35 by a roadside bomb in central Hilla," 6/4/14

- "Killing five people and wounding 21 including police by suicide bomber at entrance to Taji," 7/17/14

- "The killing of four elements of the army, including civilians and wounding 13 in two separate incidents in Mosul," 1/1/14

- "Killing six civilians and wounding 10 others by a car bomb in the neighborhood of Ur," 6/10/14

- "A suicide car bomb inside the Customs Directorate of Tikrit," 1/7/14

- "Two civilians wounded by a car bomb north of Babylon," 6/11/14

National Iraqi News Agency, "2 Civilians wounded in Samara," 1/7/14

- "/4/ people injured by a car bomb near Ratba," 7/20/14

- "11 soldiers, civilians killed and wounded in two separate incidents in Diyala province," 6/9/14

- "12 police and civilians killed, wounded in a car bomb in Tikrit," 6/8/14

- "20 people killed, 40 injured in the bombings targeted PUK headquarters in Baquba," 6/8/14

- "/40/ soldiers and volunteers killed and wounded in the explosion of two car bombs south of Tikrit, 7/15/14

- "83 killed , wounded in Najaf car bomb, medic sources say," 6/2/14

- "Awakening element killed, four others injured in Fallujah," 6/10/14

- "BREAKING NEWS 7 Civilians wounded north of Tikrit," 1/6/14

- "BREAKING NEWS 10 SWAT Elements killed, wounded in eastern Ramadi," 1/9/14

- "Breaking News../11/ civilians killed and injured in double bomb explosions targeted the funeral of Colonel Azzam al-Fahdawi," 6/22/14

- "Breaking News../44/ soldiers killed and wounded in a suicide attack south of Tikrit," 7/4/14

- "BREAKIGN NEWS. 60 people killed and wounded by two car bombs explosion targeted Shabak village east of Mosul," 6/6/14

- "Breaking News..Death toll of the car bomb in al- Amil district rose to 3 killed and 11 wounded," 6/7/14

- "Breaking News..Death toll of the victims of the two car bombs in Sadr City up to 62 martyrs and wounded," 7/15/14

- "Breaking News…Seventeen people killed and wounded in a car bomb attack in eastern Baghdad," 6/7/14

- "BREAKING NEWS Tribe's sheikh escapes assassination in Ramadi," 1/3/14

- "A car bomb exploded west of Hit in Anbar, without injuries," 7/18/14

- "A civilian killed, /5/ others wounded by a car bomb west of Anbar," 6/10/14

- "Five killed, four injured in a car bomb explosion north of Karbala," 6/11/14

- "Four policemen killed and injured by a car bomb driven by a suicide bomber northeast of Ramadi," 6/3/14

- "killing and wounding of /7/ soldiers and policemen, western Anbar," 1/1/14

- "A security element killed, five others wounded in a mortar attack and a car bomb in central Baquba," 6/6/14

- "A soldier, a policeman killed, six others including a senior police officer, injured in Kirkuk," 6/4/14

- "Two policeman killed, two others injured in a car bomb explosion south of Baghdad," 6/19/14

Radio Nawa, "Baghdad bombings toll rises to 13 dead and 79 wounded," 6/7/14

- "Killing and wounding 10 people in the bombing of the village seen north of Baghdad," 6/14/14

Al Rayy, "The death of 6 people and wounding 30 in suicide attacks on Anbar University," 6/7/14

- "The death of four people and wounding 25 others, the outcome of the suicide bombing north of Baghdad," 7/17/14

- "The death of three people and wounding two members of the military by a car bomb north of Tikrit," 6/5/14

- "Martyrdom and wounding 13 people, including officers, by a car bomb east of Tikrit," 6/4/14

- "Martyrdom and wounding 15 in the army, the police and the awakening in suicide attack west of Ramadi," 7/16/14

- "Martyrdom and wounding six civilians in a car bombing west of Ramadi," 7/21/14

- "Martyrdom and wounding six of the Peshmerga in suicide attack and the bombing of a bridge between Diyala and Sulaymaniyah," 6/23/14

- "Tuz bombing toll rises to 215 martyrs and wounded," 6/9/14

Reuters, "Iraq violence kills 24, militants stage big attacks near Falluja," 1/14/14

Rubin, Alissa and Al-Salhy, Suadad, "Top Iraqi general killed in mortar attack," Boston Globe, 7/7/14

Salaheddin, Sinan, "Attacks across Iraq kill at least 15 people," Associated Press, 6/2/14

- "Car bombs strike Iraq's Kirkuk as attacks kill 17," Associated Press, 6/4/14

Xinhua, "9 killed in attacks across Iraq," 6/23/14

Yacoub, Sameer, "Baghdad car bombing kill at least 27; ISIL terror blitz shakes Iraq's capital," Associated Press, 7/19/14

- "Bombs Against Kurds, Other Attacks in Iraq Kill 33," Associated Press, 6/9/14