Attacks Down But Casualties Up In Iraq September 2014

 

September 2014 followed the same downward trend in attacks seen in August, but casualties remained high. That was due to Islamic State massacres in northern Iraq and the fall of Camp Saqlawiya in Anbar. In Anbar and Salahaddin the insurgents are on the offensive, while they are increasing their operations in the Baghdad belts. On the other hand, the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) and their militia allies are carrying out operations in Anbar, Babil, and Diyala, while the Kurds are attempting to retake lost territory in Ninewa and Diyala. The ISF however have failed to hold many of the areas it has cleared, while the peshmerga have moved away from trying to regain Jalawla and Sinjar and are concentrating on other areas with the support of U.S. air strikes. Overall, the militants continue to hold the operational initiative in Iraq.

September saw the fewest security incidents of any month this year. The press reported 687 attacks surpassing the previous low of 830 in August. Incidents that month started declining as the insurgent summer offensive tapered off and many provinces settled into a rough stalemate. In the first week of August there were 265 attacks, going down to 178 the second week, 150 the third, which was the fewest of the year, 179 the fourth, 168 the first week of September, 156 the second week, 166 the third, and 153 from September 22-28. Baghdad, 188, Salahaddin, 175, and Anbar, 105 had the most incidents last month with southern Iraq having the fewest with eleven in Basra, five each in Karbala and Qadisiyah, two in Najaf, and one in Wasit.

For the month there were 2,673 killed and 3,306 wounded, which was roughly the same as August’s 2,668 dead and 3,640 injured. Most of September’s casualties came in Anbar where 300 soldiers were lost at Camp Saqlawiya, 500 inmates from Badush Prison in Ninewa were found executed by the Islamic State on September 10, and several hundred more were killed by IS in Ninewa and Salahaddin. The dead in September broke down to 548 members of the ISF, 34 Sahwa, 11 Peshmerga, and 2,080 civilians, while the injured consisted of 255 ISF, 20 Sahwa, 69 Peshmerga, and 2,692 civilians. Overall, Ninewa had 774 killed, Anbar 658, Salahaddin 552, Baghdad 439, Tamim 89, Diyala 66, Babil 52, Basra 19, Karbala 13, Qadisiyah 6, and Najaf 5. If not for the mass executions the number of dead would have been going down for the month. For example, from September 22-28 there were only 395 fatalities, down from 620 the week before, 932 the week before that, and 616 the first week of September. If those trends continue casualties might actually decrease in October. So far in 2014 there have been 18,413 fatalities and 27,436 wounded.

Violence In Iraq By Week 2014

Date	Incidents	Dead	Wounded
Jan 1-7	244	363	733
Jan 8-14	272	364	676
Jan 15-21	205	358	616
Jan 22-28	236	305	618
Jan 29-31	57	93	237
JAN	1,014	1,483	2,880
Feb 1-7	204	296	700
Feb 8-14	226	258	505
Feb 15-21	264	346	703
Feb 22-28	251	374	618
FEB	945	1,274	2,526
Mar 1-7	253	412	702
Mar 8-14	206	324	612
Mar 15-21	216	423	736
Mar 22-27	211	279	580
Mar 28-31	110	168	271
MAR	996	1,606	2,901
Apr 1-7	238	259	550
Apr 8-14	223	362	646
Apr 15-21	251	406	786
Apr 22-28	226	347	744
Apr 29-30	61	82	179
APR	999	1,456	2,905
May 1-7	198	246	483
May 8-14	257	469	752
May 15-21	183	256	426
May 22-28	204	407	817
May 29-31	63	90	132
MAY	905	1,468	2,610
Jun 1-7	224	588	1,021
Jun 8-14	227	1,238	891
Jun 15-21	171	758	754
Jun 22-28	200	720	775
Jun 29-30	56	127	236
JUN	878	3,431	3,677
Jul 1-7	200	511	622
Jul 8-14	211	577	625
Jul 15-21	225	398	1,000
Jul 22-28	222	549	801
Jul 29-31	65	162	230
JUL	923	2,197	3,278
Aug 1-8	268	1,121	885
Aug 9-14	178	709	1,152
Aug 15-21	150	354	499
Aug 22-28	178	523	798
Aug 29-31	58	118	289
AUG	832	2,825	3,623
Sep 1-7	168	616	751
Sep 8-14	156	932	722
Sep 15-21	166	620	749
Sep 22-28	153	395	573
Sep 29-30	44	110	241
SEP	687	2,673	3,036
2014 Totals	8,179	18,413	27,436

The Islamic State detonated 59 car bombs in September. Those went off 21 out of 30 days with one car bomb wave each week. IS broke its pattern however of setting off a new wave within one to two days of the preceding one. September 1 was the end of the last wave of August. Then the first lot of September began on September 3 until September 6. There was one day off before the next wave from September 8-12. Then the configuration changed with a two day respite, one car bomb on September 15, another day off, and then the third wave from September 17-19. The fourth wave began September 21 and went until September 25, before one day of car bombs on September 27, and then another single day of attacks on September 30. In total, there were 301 deaths and 882 wounded from these vehicle borne improvised explosive devices.

Car Bombs In Iraq Sep. 2014

Date	Location	Dead	Wounded
Sep 1	Baya x2, Baghdad	13	45
Sep 2
Sep 3	Samarra, Salahaddin	7	17
Sep 4	Albu Faraj, Anbar Kadhimiya & Sadoun St, Baghdad Kirkuk, Kirkuk	24	85
Sep 5	Amiriya Fallujah, Anbar Zafaraniya, Baghdad Tikrit, Salahaddin	14	33
Sep 6	Samarra, Salahaddin		4
Sep 7
1st Wk Total	11	58	184
Sep 8	Dhuluiya x2, Salahaddin	20	168
Sep 9	Saqlawiya, Anbar
Sep 10	Saqlawiya, Anbar New Baghdad & Ghadeer, Baghdad	19	57
Sep 11	Karbala, Karbala Najaf, Najaf Diwaniya, Qadisiyah	14	40
Sep 12	Ghadeer, Baghdad Hammadi Shihab, Salahaddin	7	18
Sep 13
Sep 14
2nd Wk Total	11	60	283
Sep 15	Abu Dishr, Baghdad	4	14
Sep 16
Sep 17	Ramadi, Anbar Tarmiya, Salahaddin	15	21
Sep 18	Kadhimiya x2 & Topchi, Baghdad Karbala, Karbala	31	56
Sep 19	Mahmudiya, Babil Baya, Karrada & Nahrawan, Baghdad	21	85
Sep 20
Sep 21	Saqlawiya x2, Anbar
3rd Wk Total	13	71	176
Sep 22	Ur, Baghdad	12	25
Sep 23	Sadr City, Baghdad Baiji Refinery & Beshkan, Salahaddin	19	71
Sep 24	Baiji Refinery x8, Salahaddin	17
Sep 25	Mahmudiya x2, Babil	7	23
Sep 26
Sep 27	Yusifiya & Mahmudiya, Babil Baiji Refinery x2, Salahaddin	19	32
Sep 28
4th Wk Total	18	74	151
Sep 29
Sep 30	Iskandiriya & Kifil, Babil Hurriya x2, Baghdad Basra, Basra Karbala, Karbala	38	88
Sep Totals	59	301	882

Another major driver of casualties was government shelling and air strikes of civilian areas. On September 13 and again on September 29 Prime Minister Haider Abadi said that the ISF would no longer hit civilian areas in an apparent fig leaf towards Sunnis. Unfortunately, there was no let up despite these statements. On September 14 for example, Dhuluiya in Salahaddin, which has been under siege by the Islamic State for weeks was hit by artillery resulting in one dead and one wounded. From that day to the end of the month there were fifteen days of mortar and artillery fire and air strikes in Anbar and Salahaddin resulting in 132 people losing their lives and 264 being injured. For the month 342 were killed and 607 wounded by the ISF. These strikes serve no military purpose and are the result of poor intelligence leading to bad targeting by the army and a disregard for civilians. The former was shown by the fact that Dhuluiya was hit twice even though it is fighting the insurgents and 21 militiamen were killed and wounded in Zian, Salahaddin on September 27. In other cases such as Fallujah and Garma in Anbar the ISF just indiscriminately fires into the two cities considering anything a legitimate target despite the costs. The fact that Abadi’s order has not been followed shows that he is willing to talk about concessions, but not make any right now.  

Casualties From Government Shelling and Air Strikes Sep 2014

Date	Location	Dead	Wounded
Sep 2	Fallujah & Garma, Anbar Albu Zarkh & Tamor, Kirkuk Alam, Salahaddin	50	78
Sep 3	Fallujah & Garma, Anbar	15	10
Sep 4	Fallujah & Garma, Anbar Mosul, Ninewa	25	16
Sep 5	Fallujah & Garma, Anbar Baiji, Salahaddin	11	49
Sep 6	Fallujah & Garma, Anbar Hawija & Tal Ali, Kirkuk Ajeel, Salahaddin	35	35
Sep 7	Zab, Kirkuk	7	4
Sep 8	Fallujah	3	17
Sep 9	Fallujah & Garma, Anbar Baaj, Ninewa	12	37
Sep 10	Fallujah & Garma, Anbar Qayara, Ninewa	8	13
Sep 11	Fallujah & Garma, Anbar	22	27
Sep 12	Fallujah, Anbar Mosul, Ninewa	21	39
Sep 13	Fallujah, Anbar	1	18
Sep 14	Dhuluiya, Salahaddin	1	1
Sep 15	Fallujah, Anbar	6	22
Sep 16	Fallujah, Anbar	4	21
Sep 17	Fallujah, Anbar	3	20
Sep 18	Fallujah, Anbar	4	24
Sep 19	Fallujah, Anbar	2	9
Sep 21	Fallujah, Anbar Tikrit, Salahaddin	15	22
Sep 22	Fallujah & Saqlawiya, Anbar	27	20
Sep 23	Fallujah, Anbar	13	23
Sep 24	Fallujah, Anbar Tikrit, Salahaddin	16	21
Sep 25	Dhuluiya & Mutasim, Salahaddin	11	18
Sep 26	Fallujah, Anbar	3	15
Sep 27	Zian, Salahaddin	8	13
Sep 28	Fallujah & Garma, Anbar	13	21
Sep 30	Fallujah, Anbar Tikrit, Salahaddin	6	14
Total	-	342	607

U.S. air strikes have also recorded their first civilian casualties. On September 26 Garma, Anbar and Mosul, Ninewa reported two and four dead respectively, along with four wounded. This was after over one hundred sorties. More casualties can be expected as the U.S. and its allies are likely to be flying over Iraq for the long run, but the small number so far is a stark comparison with the ISF.

Casualties From U.S. Air Strikes Sep 2014

Date	Location	Dead	Wounded
Sep 26	Garma, Anbar	2	4
Sep 26	Mosul, Ninewa	4	-
Total	2	6	4

Violence In Iraq By Province Sep 2014

Province	Sep 1-7	Sep 8-14	Sep 15-21	Sep 22-28	Sep 29-30	Sep Total
Anbar	23 Incidents 104 Killed 158 Wounded 8 Shootings 2 Suicide Car Bombs 1 Suicide Bomber	22 Incidents 86 Killed 169 Wounded 6 Shootings 2 IEDs 2 Suicide Car Bombs	28 Incidents 374 Killed 149 Wounded 10 Shootings 63 IEDs 3 Suicide Car Bombs 4 Suicide Bombers	26 Incidents 87 Killed 96 Wounded 14 Shootings 3 IEDs	6 Incidents 7 Killed 18 Wounded 5 Shootings	105 Incidents 658 Killed 590 Wounded 43 Shootings 68 IEDs 7 Suicide Car Bombs 5 Suicide Bomber
Babil	10 Incidents 12 Killed 30 Wounded 1 Shooting 6 IEDs	7 Incidents 5 Killed 19 Wounded 2 Shootings 3 IEDs	10 Incidents 5 Killed 41 Wounded 6 Shootings 4 IEDs 1 Car Bomb	13 Incidents 23 Killed 66 Wounded 9 Shootings 3 Car Bombs 1 Suicide Car Bomb	3 Incidents 7 Killed 29 Wounded 1 Shooting 2 Car Bombs	43 Incidents 52 Killed 185 Wounded 19 Shootings 13 IEDs 5 Car Bombs 1 Suicide Car Bomb
Baghdad	50 Incidents 112 Killed 297 Wounded 17 Shootings 25 IEDs 3 Sticky Bombs 4 Car Bombs 1 Suicide Car Bomb	43 Incidents 85 Killed 236 Wounded 12 Shootings 23 IEDs 3 Sticky Bombs 1 Motorcycle Bomb 4 Suicide Car Bombs	44 Incidents 121 Killed 326 Wounded 6 Shootings 16 IEDs 9 Sticky Bombs 7 Car Bombs	39 Incidents 83 Killed 221 Wounded 15 Shootings 17 IEDs 3 Sticky Bombs 1 Sound Bomb 2 Car Bombs	12 Incidents 38 Killed 90 Wounded 1 Shooting 6 IEDs 1 Sticky Bomb 2 Car Bombs	188 Incidents 439 Killed 1,170 Wounded 51 Shootings 87 IEDs 19 Sticky Bombs 15 Car Bombs 5 Suicide Car Bombs 1 Motorcycle Bomb 1 Sound Bomb
Basra	2 Incidents 2 Killed 1 Shooting	8 Incidents 2 Killed 2 Shootings 1 IED 3 Sticky Bombs	-	-	1 Incident 15 Killed 1 Car Bomb	11 Incidents 19 Killed 3 Shootings 1 IED 3 Sticky Bombs 1 Car Bomb
Diyala	11 Incidents 9 Killed 27 Wounded 4 Shootings 12 IEDs 1 Suicide Bomber	10 Incidents 5 Killed 10 Wounded 4 Shootings 2 IEDs	14 Incidents 15 Killed 35 Wounded 8 Shootings 3 IEDs 1 Sticky Bomb	20 Incidents 37 Killed 72 Wounded 10 Shootings 5 IEDs 1 Sticky Bomb 1 Suicide Bomber	2 Incidents 2 Shootings	57 Incidents 66 Killed 144 Wounded 28 Shootings 22 IEDs 2 Sticky Bombs 2 Suicide Bombers
Karbala	-	1 Incident 3 Killed 12 Wounded 1 Car Bomb	1 Incident 1 Car Bomb	2 Incidents 1 Wounded 2 IEDs	1 Incident 10 Killed 12 Wounded 1 Car Bomb	5 Incidents 13 Killed 25 Wounded 2 IEDs 3 Car Bombs
Kirkuk	18 Incidents 42 Killed 61 Wounded 7 Shootings 2 IEDs 1 Car Bomb	10 Incidents 9 Killed 6 Wounded 5 Shootings 3 IEDs	8 Incidents 21 Killed 25 Wounded 3 Shootings 16 IEDs 1 Motorcycle Bomb	2 Incidents 2 Killed 1 Shooting 10 IEDs	5 Incidents 15 Killed 24 Wounded 1 Shooting 3 IEDs	43 Incidents 89 Killed 116 Wounded 16 Shootings 34 IEDs 1 Car Bomb 1 Motorcycle Bomb
Najaf	-	2 Incidents 5 Killed 12 Wounded 1 IED 1 Car Bomb	-	-	-	2 Incidents 5 Killed 12 Wounded 1 IED 1 Car Bomb
Ninewa	16 Incidents 103 Killed 6 Wounded 7 Shootings 15 IEDs	15 Incidents 646 Killed 16 Wounded 10 Shootings 14 IEDs	16 Incidents 15 Killed 5 Wounded 5 Shootings 44 IEDs	4 Incidents 8 Killed 1 Shooing 2 IEDs	1 Incident 2 Killed 1 Shooting	52 Incidents 774 Killed 27 Wounded 24 Gunfire 75 IEDs
Qadisiyah	2 Incidents 2 Wounded 2 IEDs	3 Incidents 6 Killed 18 Wounded 1 IED 1 Sticky Bomb 1 Car Bomb	-	-	-	5 Incidents 6 Killed 20 Wounded 3 IEDs 1 Sticky Bomb 1 Car Bomb
Salahaddin	36 Incidents 232 Killed 170 Wounded 19 Shootings 7 IEDs 3 Car Bombs	35 Incidents 80 Killed 224 Wounded 18 Shootings 26 IEDs 3 Suicide Car Bombs 1 Suicide Boat Bomb	45 Incidents 69 Killed 168 Wounded 15 Shootings 95 IEDs 1 Suicide Car Bomb	46 Incidents 155 Killed 117 Wounded 17 Shootings 45 IEDs 3 Car Bombs 9 Suicide Car Bombs	13 Incidents 16 Killed 68 Wounded 5 Shootings 1 IED 1 Sticky Bomb 1 Suicide Bomber	175 Incidents 552 Killed 747 Wounded 74 Shootings 174 IEDs 1 Sticky Bomb 6 Car Bombs 13 Suicide Car Bombs 1 Suicide Boat Bomb 1 Suicide Bomber
Wasit	-	-	-	1 Incident 1 IED	-	1 Incident 1 IED

Anbar saw four insurgent offensives in September. The first was aimed at taking Haditha and its neighboring dam. The ISF and friendly tribes were able to defeat this thrust, and then tried to turn the tables and push insurgents out of the area. Their attempt to move towards the Syrian border went nowhere however. IS then scored a major victory when it took Camp Saqlawiya on September 21. Not only that, but it was able to gain ground in Ramadi despite several security campaigns there during the month. By the end of the month there was news that another military base with 240 soldiers northeast of Ramadi was surrounded and under attack by the militants as well. The Iraqi forces have been completely inept in the province. It has launched one operation after another there, but has never been able to hold any ground. In fact, it has lost territory almost every month.  

Babil is much the same. There the twelfth and thirteenth security sweeps of the year were launched in September. These were supported by militias who have been carrying out mass arrests, destroying homes, and cutting off water supplies to Sunni areas, and telling them to leave in Latifiya, and probably other areas as well. Northern Babil is part of the Baghdad belts where the insurgents are building up their support networks, and using them to launch attacks into the capital.

Other areas of the belts where insurgents are active include places like Abu Ghraib, Madain, Yusifiya, and Husseiniya in Baghdad governorate. Those have seen a constant series of attacks throughout the year. Madain for instance saw a shop shot up and a house stormed on September 14, and then two IEDs, three sticky bombs, and another house attacked the next day. The capital city itself has also come under indirect fire from mortars. In August and September there were 10 mortar incidents each. These all showed that the militants are becoming bolder.

Diyala has seen major operations by both the ISF and peshmerga. The army, police and militias have been trying to clear northern Muqtadiya, Mansuriya, and the Hamrin mountain region. They were finally able to free the irrigation system in central Diyala from IS control by the end of the month. The peshmerga on the other hand were at first attempting to retake Jalawla that fell to the Islamic State, but that has stalled. The Kurds are now focused upon northern Babil in places like Qara Tapa and the Hamrin area as well. Both forces are receiving Iranian aid and advice. Several hundred families have been displaced due to the fighting.

The Kurds are also on the offensive in Ninewa. Originally they were trying to clear the areas around Sinjar, but like in Diyala they have moved on to other regions of the province instead. The Bashiqa area north of Mosul was been a major focus and at the end of September they were able to take the Rabia border crossing with Syria with the aid of the People’s Protection Units (YPG). The Yazidis have been forming their own armed groups and have talked about retaking Sinjar as well, but on September 29 they were forced from two areas due to a lack of ammunition showing that they are not ready for any major operations yet. Rabia would be a major victory for the Kurds as it has been used as a crossing point for IS fighters back and forth between Iraq and Syria. It would also be the second major point taken since the Mosul Dam. The Islamic State still remains in full control of the central part of the province.

Salahaddin is the other area where IS has been on the offensive. The Islamic State continues to surround and assault the Dhuluiya area. It has also moved into Dujail in the southern section of the province in an attempt to cut off places like Taji and Samarra from Baghdad. Towards the end of September there was major fighting there. Militants have also been hitting Baiji refinery again with car and suicide bombers. This is another example of the insurgents holding the initiative. They have been able to out maneuver the ISF and militias and move into their rear in Dujail and threaten their supply lines. If successful this Islamic State thrust could reconfigure security throughout northern Iraq once again.

Finally, southern Iraq was hit by a series of car bombs. That started on September 11 when Karbala, Najaf and Diwaniya were all hit, followed by Karbala again on September 18, and then Basra and Karbala once more on September 30. There were also a series of IED, sticky bomb, and shooting incidents some of which might have been the work of Shiite parties vying for power and taking hits on their opponents.

SOURCES

AIN, “Wide security operation to start in Ramadi,” 9/27/14

Buratha News, “Abadi: I will not let civilians be bombed and no need for international ground forces,” 9/29/14

- “Anbar Operations begin a massive military operation to cleanse the areas north of Ramadi of Daash,” 9/23/14

- “Council wants Latifiyah and Mahmudiyah cleared: Daash terrorists controlled in three areas south of Baghdad,” 9/22/14

- “Defense announces the death of more than 100 “terrorist” and cleanse the 16 villages in Diyala,” 9/29/14

- "Mahmudiya bombing toll rises to 30 martyrs and wounded," 9/25/14

Daragahi, Borzou, “Iraq’s sectarian war rages on as world focuses on Isis,” Financial Times, 9/26/14

Al Forat, "Car bombing outcome: 10 killed, 8 injured eastern Karbala," 9/30/14

- “ISF liberate 3 villages in Muqdadiyah,” 9/24/14

- “Wide military operation launched to liberate Tikrit from ISIL,” 9/22/14

Independent Press Agency, "81 dead and wounded the final outcome of bombing of Sadr City," 9/23/14

- "Army re-bombed Fallujah with missile launchers and explosives and aircraft," 9/28/14

Al Mada, “Dujail is exposed to attacks from 3 axes and Daash trying to isolate it from Baghdad,” 9/24/14

- "Killed and injured 13 people and destroyed 16 houses bombed in Fallujah," 9/26/14

- "Killed and injured 18 people and damaged power grids in army pounding of Fallujah," 9/23/14

- "Killed and injured 47 people and destroyed water plan in army bombing on Fallujah," 9/22/14

- "Killing and injuring four people in armed attack south of Baghdad," 9/14/14

- “Latifiyah and Mahmudiyah: Daash controls the three areas south of Baghdad..and most of the fighters from tribes,” 9/24/14

- “Salahuddin council warns of Daash control in Dujail and to cut supply route from Dhuluiya to Samarra,” 9/22/14

Al Masalah, "Killing five civilians and wounding 16 by a suicide bomber targeting a café south of Baghdad," 9/27/14

-"Two casualties and 15 wounded in car bombing in central Basra," 9/30/14

Morris, Harvey, “UPDATE: Turning Point as Kurds Push Back at Border,” Rudaw, 9/30/14

New Sabah, “Preparations for a major military air cover to storm Fallujah,” 9/27/14

- “The start of the second stage in the liberation of Jurf al-Sakhr with the support of international aviation,” 9/22/14

NINA, "/9/ Elements of the Popular Mobilization killed by the explosion of two car bombs in Baiji oil refinery," 9/27/14

- "/17/ civilians killed and wounded by indiscriminate shelling of residential neighborhoods in Fallujah, /34/ elements of the IS killed by air raids," 9/24/14

- "/17/ people, including soldiers killed in the suicide attacks on the Baiji refinery," 9/24/14

- "29/ people killed and wounded south of Tikrit," 9/25/14

- "Breaking News..About /40/ people killed and wounded, including military personnel in two separate incidents in the south and north of Baghdad," 9/27/14

- “Breaking News..liberating all areas north and west of the city of Ramadi from the IS control,” 9/22/14

- "Breaking News…Two Car Bombings in Southern Baghdad 9/25/14

- “Cleansing Cohani villages in Mansuriya in Diyala,” 9/25/14

- ""Four" civilians killed by an American raid in central Mosul," 9/26/14

- “Four villages between Ramadi and Saqlawiyah freed from the control of the (IS),” 9/28/14

- “Freeing of three villages and killed four elements of Daash northeast of Baquba,” 9/29/14

- "Gunmen kill (Mukhtar), two of his family, two relatives south of Baghdad," 9/14/14

- "More than /40/ people killed and wounded in artillery shelling and bombing of a market in Tikrit," 9/24/14

- “Peshmerga forces liberate several villages in Nineveh Plain,” 9/23/14

- "A security source in Babylon: Al-Kefil explosion targeted displaced people from Mosul," 9/30/14

Radio Free Iraq, "26 September 2014," Daily Updates from Anbar, 9/26/14

- "Car Bombs, Mortars Kill 25 In Baghdad," 9/30/14

Al Rayy, “The arrival of large military reinforcements to Jurf al-Sakhr north of Babylon,” 9/24/14

- “The displacement of 100 families from the villages north of Muqdadiyah because of public executions by Daash,” 9/24/14

- "Killing and injuring dozens of Daash in frustrated attack on Baiji refinery north of Tikrit," 9/23/14

- “Peace Brigades liberated village in Muqdadiyah from Daash,” 9/24/14

- “Security forces and the popular crowd purify the eastern part of the helm’s irrigation northeast of Baquba,” 9/28/14

- “The strength of the anti-terror begins to carry out a military operation in Ramadi,” 9/25/14

Salaheddin, Sinan, "Officials: Wave of attacks kill 19 across Iraq," Associated Press, 9/30/14

Shafaq News, "2 civilians killed and 7 wounded in a bombing east Dhuluiya," 9/23/14

- “Battles and “violent” bombings for hours in largest oil refineries north of Iraq,” 9/24/14

- “Dozens of ISIS elements killed in security operation in Dhuluiya,” 9/29/14

- “Sinjar: Yazidi fighters withdraw from two regions and criticize Western Aviation,” 9/29/14

Yacoub, Sameer, "Iraq officials: Baghdad car bomb kills 17 people," Associated Press, - "Iraq officials say Baghdad car bomb has killed 12," Associated Press, 9/22/14

Xinhua, "Iraqi warplane mistakenly pounded militiamen, as dozens killed and wounded in bomb attacks," 9/28/14