The number of attacks and casualties went up a bit in Iraq in
the fourth week of December 2014. That was due to an increase in fighting in
Anbar and the discovery of a mass grave in Diyala. On the other hand the Iraqi
Security Forces (ISF), militias and tribes made major advances in the Balad
district of southern Salahaddin. Overall, violence remains relatively low
compared to the summer when the insurgents were on the offensive.
From December 22-28 there were a reported 160 attacks in
Iraq. That was up from 133 the previous week. Security incidents went from an
average of 19.0 per day to 22.8. The main cause for the increase was Anbar
where attacks went from 19 to 38 in the last two weeks. Baghdad led the week
with 46 incidents, followed by 34 in Salahaddin, 32 in Anbar, 18 in Ninewa, 13
in Diyala, 8 in Babil, six in Kirkuk, three in Basra, and one in Qadisiyah.
Attacks are down from the first half of the year when there were regularly more
than 200 incidents per week.
Casualties were also up for the 4th week of
December. There were 558 deaths and 432 wounded up from 377 killed and 340
injured the third week of the month. The dead consisted of 40 members of the
Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), 45 Sahwa, 17 peshmerga, and 2 members of the
Syrian YPG, and 454 civilians, while the injured were 72 ISF, 77 Sahwa, 54
peshmerga, and 229 civilians. The main reason why there were more fatalities
was the discovery of three
mass graves in northeast Diyala with approximately 250 bodies in them. That
meant that province had the most dead with 271. After that 103 were killed in
Baghdad, 50 in Anbar, 45 in Kirkuk, 41 in Salahaddin, 32 in Babil, 14 in
Ninewa, and two in Basra. In total, from January 1 to December 28 Musings On
Iraq counted 10,117 security incidents, 24,464 dead, and 37,360 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
|
2,890
|
|
Feb 1-7
|
211
|
306
|
706
|
|
Feb 8-14
|
229
|
258
|
505
|
|
Feb 15-21
|
264
|
347
|
703
|
|
Feb 22-28
|
251
|
374
|
617
|
|
FEB
|
955
|
1,285
|
2,531
|
|
Mar 1-7
|
252
|
412
|
702
|
|
Mar 8-14
|
205
|
323
|
610
|
|
Mar 15-21
|
216
|
423
|
736
|
|
Mar 22-27
|
211
|
279
|
580
|
|
Mar 28-31
|
108
|
169
|
261
|
|
MAR
|
992
|
1,606
|
2,889
|
|
Apr 1-7
|
238
|
259
|
550
|
|
Apr 8-14
|
224
|
362
|
646
|
|
Apr 15-21
|
241
|
406
|
805
|
|
Apr 22-28
|
226
|
347
|
744
|
|
Apr 29-30
|
61
|
82
|
179
|
|
APR
|
990
|
1,456
|
2,924
|
|
May 1-7
|
198
|
246
|
483
|
|
May 8-14
|
257
|
466
|
752
|
|
May 15-21
|
183
|
256
|
426
|
|
May 22-28
|
203
|
403
|
810
|
|
May 29-31
|
64
|
91
|
131
|
|
MAY
|
905
|
1,462
|
2,602
|
|
Jun 1-7
|
228
|
612
|
1,020
|
|
Jun 8-14
|
234
|
1,889
|
890
|
|
Jun 15-21
|
179
|
803
|
759
|
|
Jun 22-28
|
203
|
733
|
777
|
|
Jun 29-30
|
59
|
127
|
236
|
|
JUN
|
901
|
4,172
|
3,701
|
|
Jul 1-7
|
203
|
526
|
651
|
|
Jul 8-14
|
214
|
577
|
628
|
|
Jul 15-21
|
230
|
444
|
1,009
|
|
Jul 22-28
|
224
|
589
|
801
|
|
Jul 29-31
|
66
|
163
|
230
|
|
JUL
|
937
|
2,299
|
3,319
|
|
Aug 1-8
|
269
|
1,122
|
885
|
|
Aug 9-14
|
179
|
710
|
1,152
|
|
Aug 15-21
|
150
|
354
|
499
|
|
Aug 22-28
|
156
|
523
|
798
|
|
Aug 29-31
|
59
|
125
|
289
|
|
AUG
|
813
|
2,834
|
3,623
|
|
Sep 1-7
|
168
|
616
|
751
|
|
Sep 8-14
|
156
|
433
|
722
|
|
Sep 15-21
|
166
|
620
|
749
|
|
Sep 22-28
|
153
|
395
|
573
|
|
Sep 29-30
|
47
|
112
|
252
|
|
SEP
|
690
|
2,176
|
3,047
|
|
Oct 1-7
|
170
|
451
|
687
|
|
Oct 8-14
|
188
|
532
|
875
|
|
Oct 15-21
|
156
|
449
|
770
|
|
Oct 22-28
|
159
|
345
|
592 + 1,230
|
|
Oct 29-31
|
68
|
570
|
227
|
|
OCT
|
741
|
2,347
|
3,151 + 1,230
|
|
Nov 1-7
|
153
|
601
|
828
|
|
Nov 8-14
|
128
|
420
|
593
|
|
Nov 15-21
|
134
|
283
|
464
|
|
Nov 22-28
|
138
|
321
|
640
|
|
Nov 29-30
|
40
|
62
|
123
|
|
NOV
|
593
|
1,687
|
2,648
|
|
Dec 1-7
|
137
|
323
|
476
|
|
Dec 8-14
|
156
|
233 + 166
|
444 + 1,113
|
|
Dec 15-21
|
133
|
377
|
340
|
|
Dec 22-28
|
160
|
558
|
432
|
|
2014
|
10,117
|
24,464
|
37,360
|
Violence In Iraq By Province Dec
2014
|
Province
|
Dec 1-7
|
Dec. 8-14
|
|
Anbar
|
19
Incidents
84
Killed: 16 ISF, 68 Civilians
58
Wounded: 6 ISF, 52 Civilians
11
Shootings
1 IED
|
38
Incidents
79
Killed: 28 ISF, 51 Civilians
146
Wounded: 28 ISF, 118 Civilians
22
Shootings
1 IED
3 Mortar
5 Suicide
Car Bombs
1 Car
Bomb
|
|
Babil
|
5
Incidents
6 Killed:
2 ISF, 4 Civilians
20
Wounded: 4 ISF, 16 Civilians
4 IEDs
1 Car
Bomb
|
2
Incidents
3 Killed:
1 ISF, 2 Civilians
10
Wounded: 2 ISF, 8 Civilians
2 IEDs
|
|
Baghdad
|
44
Incidents
97
Killed: 97 Civilians
262
Wounded: 7 ISF, 255 Civilians
11
Shootings
25 IEDs
1 Mortar
5 Sticky
Bombs
2 Car
Bombs
|
38
Incidents
49
Killed: 2 ISF, 47 Civilians
135
Wounded: 16 ISF, 119 Civilians
11
Shootings
18 IEDs
4 Stick
Bombs
1 Mortar
3 Rockets
|
|
Basra
|
1
Incident
2 Stun
Bombs
|
1
Incident
|
|
Diyala
|
8
Incidents
8 Killed:
2 Peshmerga, 6 Civilians
10
Wounded: 6 ISF, 4 Civilians
6
Shootings
2 IEDs
|
18
Incidents
18
Killed: 3 ISF, 1 Sahwa, 1 Peshmerga, 13 Civilians
28
Wounded: 1 ISF, 2 Peshmerga, 25 Civilians
6
Shootings
1 IED
1 Suicide
Bomber
3 Mortar
|
|
Kirkuk
|
6
Incidents
18
Killed: 18 Civilians
22
Wounded: 22 Civilians
1
Shooting
3 Mortar
1 Suicide
Car Bomb
|
9
Incidents
7 Killed:
7 Civilians
12
Wounded: 12 Civilians
3 Shootings
50 IEDs
1 Sticky
Bomb
1 Mortar
|
|
Ninewa
|
13
Incidents
15
Killed: 1 ISF, 4 Peshmerga, 10 Civilians
6
Shootings
6 IEDs
|
8
Incidents
7 Killed:
2 ISF, 5 Civilians
5
Wounded: 1 Peshmerga, 4 Civilians
3
Shootings
4 IEDs
|
|
Salahaddin
|
41
Incidents
95
Killed: 22 ISF, 1 Sahwa, 72 Civilians
104
Wounded: 4 ISF, 100 Civilians
24
Shootings
31 IEDs
3 Mortar
1 Suicide
Bomber
1 Suicide
Car Bomb
|
40
Incidents
69
Killed: 20 ISF, 49 Civilians
104
Wounded: 25 ISF, 79 Civilians
18
Shootings
11 IEDs
10 Mortar
3 Rockets
2 Suicide
Car Bombs
|
|
Province
|
Dec 15-21
|
Dec 22-28
|
|
Anbar
|
22
Incidents
38
Killed: 5 ISF, 33 Civilians
28
Wounded: 5 ISF, 23 Civilians
18
Shootings
|
32
Incidents
50
Killed: 8 ISF, 42 Civilians
57
Wounded: 10 ISF, 3 Sahwa, 44 Civilians
26
Shootings
1 Suicide
Car Bomb
1 Mortar
|
|
Babil
|
8
Incidents
22
Killed: 22 Civilians
27
Wounded: 2 ISF, 25 Civilians
2
Shootings
3 IEDs
1 Sticky
Bomb
1 Car Bomb
1 Mortar
|
8
Incidents
32
Killed: 3 Sahwa, 29 Civilians
25
Wounded: 3 ISF, 22 Civilians
3
Shootings
3 IEDs
2 Car
Bombs
|
|
Baghdad
|
51
Incidents
159
Killed: 8 ISF, 151 Civilians
192
Wounded: 18 ISF, 174 Civilians
14
Shootings
24 IEDs
5 Sticky
Bombs
1 Car
Bomb
2 Mortar
1 Rocket
1 Grenade
|
46
Incidents
103
Killed: 19 ISF, 40 Sahwa, 44 Civilians
192
Wounded: 18 ISF, 70 Sahwa, 104 Civilians
13
Shootings
21 IEDs
7 Sticky
Bombs
1 Suicide
Bomber
1 Mortar
|
|
Basra
|
1
Incident
1
Wounded: 1 Civilian
1
Shooting
|
3
Incidents
2 Killed:
2 Civilians
2
Shootings
|
|
Diyala
|
10
Incidents
12
Killed: 3 ISF, 9 Civilians
18
Wounded: 1 ISF, 17 Civilians
6 Shootings
2 IEDs
3 Mortar
|
13
Incidents
271
Killed: 3 ISF, 12 Peshmerga, 256 Civilians
24
Wounded: 1 ISF, 2 Peshmerga, 21 Civilians
5
Shootings
2 IEDs
6 Mortar
|
|
Kirkuk
|
3
Incidents
1 Killed:
1 Civilian
1 IED
|
6
Incidents
45
Killed: 45 Civilians
2
Wounded: 2 Civilians
3
Shootings
2 IEDs
1 Rocket
|
|
Ninewa
|
7
Incidents
77
Killed: 77 Civilians
24
Wounded: 24 Peshmerga
5
Shootings
3 IEDs
1 Car
Bomb
|
18
Incidents
14
Killed: 5 Peshmerga, 2 YPG, 7 Civilians
52
Wounded: 52 Peshmerga
11
Shootings
9 IEDs
|
|
Qadisiyah
|
-
|
1 Incident
1 Sound
Bomb
|
|
Salahaddin
|
31
Incidents
68
Killed: 4 ISF, 64 Civilians
50
Wounded: 6 ISF, 44 Civilians
19
Shootings
63 IEDs
1 Suicide
Bomber
1 Suicide
Car Bomb
1 Mortar
|
34
Incidents
41
Killed: 10 ISF, 2 Sahwa, 29 Civilians
80
Wounded: 40 ISF, 4 Sahwa, 36 Civilians
12
Shootings
39 IEDs
1 Suicide
Truck Bomb
6 Mortar
1 Rocket
|
Car Bomb Attacks In Iraq Dec 2014
|
Date
|
Location
|
Dead
|
Wounded
|
|
Dec 1
|
|||
|
Dec 2
|
Mahmudiya, Babil
|
1
|
|
|
Dec 3
|
|||
|
Dec 4
|
Shaab & Sadr City, Baghdad
Shorja, Kirkuk
|
39
|
97
|
|
Dec 5
|
|||
|
Dec 6
|
|||
|
Dec 7
|
Salman, Salahaddin
|
9
|
17
|
|
1st Wk Totals
|
5
|
48
|
115
|
|
Dec 8
|
|||
|
Dec 9
|
Nikhaib, Anbar
|
||
|
Dec 10
|
Ramadi, Anbar
Dijla & Mutasim, Salahaddin
|
11
|
22
|
|
Dec 11
|
Ramadi, Anbar
|
2
|
4
|
|
Dec 12
|
|||
|
Dec 13
|
Haditha & Ramadi, Anbar
|
15
|
33
|
|
Dec 14
|
|||
|
2nd Wk Totals
|
7
|
28
|
59
|
|
Dec 15
|
|||
|
Dec 16
|
|||
|
Dec 17
|
|||
|
Dec 18
|
Mahmuidya, Babil
Husseiniya, Baghdad
|
10
|
25
|
|
Dec 19
|
Samarra, Salahaddin
|
2
|
5
|
|
Dec 20
|
|||
|
Dec 21
|
Makhmour, Ninewa
|
4
|
|
|
3rd Wk Totals
|
4
|
12
|
34
|
|
Dec 22
|
|
|
|
|
Dec 23
|
Yusifiya, Babil
Dhuluiya, Salahaddin
|
3
|
6
|
|
Dec 24
|
|
|
|
|
Dec 25
|
|
|
|
|
Dec 26
|
|
|
|
|
Dec 27
|
Outside Baghdadi, Anbar
|
|
|
|
Dec 28
|
Iskandiriya, Babil
|
|
|
|
4th Wk Totals
|
4
|
3
|
6
|
Like the previous week there were only four vehicle borne
improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs) from December 22-28. There were two in
Babil, and one each in Anbar and Salahaddin. Those resulted in three dead and
six wounded, but the actual numbers were much higher as no casualties were
reported for the December 28 bombing in Iskandiriya. The two attacks in Babil
were terrorist ones, but the other two were part of military operations against
the ISF and militias. So far, there have only been 20 VBIEDs this month. That
means December looks like it will end with the fewest number of car bombs in a
single month since October 2012 when there were just 23.
Anbar continued to be one of the most violent areas of the
country. The Islamic State (IS) remained focused upon taking Baghdadi and the
neighboring Assad Air Base, Haditha and its dam, and the provincial capital of
Ramadi. IS has brought in tanks
and other armored vehicles, plus several hundred reinforcements
from Syria in its assault upon Baghdadi and Assad. In Ramadi
insurgents made more thrusts at the downtown government complex, the Anbar
Operations Command headquarters, and the 8th Army Brigade base.
Coalition air strikes have played a large role in blunting many of these
attacks. IS was said to have suddenly withdrew from Qaim on December 22, while the ISF pulled out
of 14 villages they had just taken in the Baghdadi area on December
27. The pro-government forces are still trying to clear towns around Hit
in part of an offensive that started two weeks ago, and that has made very
limited progress. This was also meant to relieve pressure on Baghdadi. December
25 the ISF claimed it had made major gains in Ramadi retaking Howaz,
Andolus, Jamouri, Mualimin, and 20th Street. These have been
contested areas since January, and have traded hands many times. Finally, on December 22
a mass grave was found in Amiriya Fallujah with 20 people in it executed by IS.
Despite the concerted efforts of the insurgents they have made no real progress
in Anbar lately. At the same time up to 85% of the province is under their
control, and no real help appears to be coming from Baghdad, which has written
off the province for other areas of the country.
In Diyala there is continued controversy over the Jalawla
and Sadiya areas that were cleared by the Peshmerga and militias several weeks
ago, along with renewed IS attacks upon the center of the province. Local
leaders told Al Mada that Jalawla was a disaster
area. Mosques and shops have been blown up and destroyed by both pro and
anti-government forces. Local Arabs have had their homes destroyed to try to
stop them from returning. A local sheikh blamed the Kurds for trying to stop
people from returning to the town on the grounds that they supported the
insurgents. In Jalawla and Sadiya three
mass graves were also discovered on December 24 with 250 bodies of people
executed by the Islamic State. Diyala’s governor warned
of the deteriorating security situation in Muqtadiya. He said the northern
section of the district was under insurgent control. For the last several weeks
they have been hitting the area with mortar fire, which caused more than 60
families to flee.
For the week Muqtadiya was hit six times by mortars killing three and wounding
19. Badr Organization head Hadi
Ameri told locals that they should leave because Muqtadiya was going to be
the next target of a security sweep. Violence in the province is not as bad as
it was at the start of the year, but it remains a major base for insurgents. It
has lost ground in the northeast to the Kurds and militias, but places like the
Hamrin Mountains are an insurgent stronghold despite several operations there.
That has allowed them to carry out attacks like those on going in Mutaqadiya.
During the week the peshmerga continued to make progress in
the Sinjar district of Ninewa. They broke the siege of Mount Sinjar last week
and moved into Sinjar itself. IS has been attacking the surrounding areas like Gwar
and Makhmour
to draw Kurdish forces away, but they have not been successful. On December
24 a peshmerga commander said that 30% of Sinjar had been cleared. These
moves have caused concern
that an offensive against Mosul is imminent. Reports have said that is causing
foreign fighters to leave the city, and locals are hoarding supplies.
In Salahaddin the ISF and militias made big gains in the
southern part of the province. That was part of an offensive in the Balad
district that started at the end of the third week of December. On December
22 two towns near Dhuluiya, and Albu
Handal near Aziz were cleared. That was followed by two parts
of Yathrib and Dhuluiya
Bridge on December 25, one town in Dhuluiya, and two in Yathrib the next day, and then
Al-Atheem River and Albu Salabi in Diyala neighboring Dhuluiya, Dhuluiya
airport, Rosasi
River, and ten more villages the next day. Finally, on December
28 two more sections of Aziz were freed, along with four more areas of Dhuluiya. Securing the Balad district
is important to ensure communication and supply lines between central
Salahaddin and Baghdad. The Dhuluiya area has also been under siege since the
summer and is in desperate need of relief. The government has finally decided
to address this area.
SOURCES
AIN, “2 areas within Dhilo’aya district liberated from
ISIL,” 12/22/14
- “Peshmerga control new areas western Mosul,” 12/28/14
- “Security forces liberate 5 areas in Anbar,” 12/25/14
Alsumaria, "Peshmerga repel Daash attack on two
villages south of Irbil, killing 33 of its gunmen," 12/28/14
- “Source: tactical withdrawal of the army from 14 villages
west of Ramadi,” 12/27/14
- "A suicide bombing destroys vital bridge linking
al-Baghdadi to villages west of 14 gray," 12/27/14
Awara, Omar, "Three Mass Graves Found in Jalawla and
Saadia," Bas News, 12/24/14
Berwani, Hawar, "Car bomb goes off southern
Baghdad," Iraqi News, 12/23/14
Buratha News, “Ameri appeal to the people of Muqdadiyah to
leave the region before a heavy blow to Daash terrorists,” 12/28/14
- “Interior announces purge of Albu Tuma area south of
Tikrit,” 12/26/14
EFE, “Islamic State once again blockades Iraq’s Biyi oil
refinery,” 12/21/14
Al Forat, “23 ISIL terrorists killed in western Anbar,”
12/27/14
- “Albo Asaf area liberated of ISIL,” 12/27/14
- “ISF liberate eastern part of Rusasi River southern
Tikrit,” 12/27/14
- “Salah al-Din: ISF & volunteers entered Remelat , Albu
Handal,” 12/28/14
- “Salah al-Din: ISF & volunteers liberate Um Rosas from
ISIL,” 12/27/14
- “Tikrit: ISF & volunteers liberate Tal Dhahab from
ISIL,” 12/27/14
- “Tikrit: ISF liberate Banat al-Hassan area from ISIL,”
12/27/14
Hawrami, Karzan Sabah, “Peshmerga Commander: %30 of Sinjar
Under Our Control,” Bas News, 12/24/14
Independent Press Agency, "Killing and injuring eight
people by a roadside bomb south of Baghdad," 12/23/14
Jasim, Ali, “Governor of Diyala warns of collapse of the
security situation in Muqdadiyah after recording six assassinations,”
Alsumaria, 12/28/14
- "Suicide truck bomb over the Dhuluiya concrete
bridge," Alsumaria, 12/23/14
Joumah, Khales, “Effect Of Victory In Sinjar: Extremists On
The Move in Mosul,” Niqash, 12/24/14
Lewis, Jessica, Ali, Ahmed, and Adnan, Sinan, “ISIS
Offensives in Ramadi City and Al-Asad Airbase in Al-Anbar, Iraq,” Institute for
the Study of War, 12/24/14
Al Mada, “Federal Police freed one part of Yathrib area and
cleared the Dhuluiya bridge and the clearing of explosive devices in Mutasim,”
12/25/14
- “Jalawla officials describe it as “distressed city” and
Daash burned mosques and buildings before withdrawal,” 12/24/14
- “Joint forces led by Ameri begin joint forces operation
led by Ameri to clear area around Balad of Daash,” 12/26/14
- “Joint forces of the Federal Police and popular crowd
freed nine areas of southern Salahuddin,” 12/28/14
Majid, Haidar, “Freed two areas south of Tikrit and killed
20 members of Daash,” Alsumaria, 12/25/14
NINA, “The fighting continues around Ein al-Assad base and
the IS managed to control a nearby residential neighborhoods,” 12/21/14
- "Mass grave found north of Babil," 12/22/14
- “Military force liberates /4/ villages northwest of Heet,”
12/22/14
- “More than /60/ families displaced from Muqdadiyah because
of the mortars of the IS organization,” 12/27/14
- “Security Source: Yathrib and Aziz Balad Liberated From
The Control Of Daash,” 12/27/14
- “Source: Large Scale Military Operation Starts in The
Areas Near Iraqi-Jordan-Syrian Border,” 12/27/14
Radio Free Iraq, “24 December 2014,” Daily Updates from
Anbar, 12/24/14
- “25 December 2014,” Daily Updates from Anbar, 12/25/14
Al Rayy, “The arrival of military reinforcements to secure
the perimeter of Dhuluiya,” 12/23/14
- “Cleared four areas in the south of Tikrit in Dhuluiya,”
12/28/14
- “Daash terrorists withdraw from Qaim, fleeing to an
unknown destination,” 12/22/14
Shafaq News, "Car bomb explosion in a residential
complex in Babil," 12/28/14
- "Commander of combat terrorism Regiment in Dohuk
passes away," 12/25/14
- “ISIS reinforces its presence western Ramadi by 300
terrorists,” 12/23/14
- “Several areas in Tikrit resorted in the biggest military
operation,” 12/27/14
Xinhua, “Iraqi forces launch offensives on IS,” 12/25/14
