Security In Iraq, July 22-28, 2016

The fourth week of July 2016 saw another limited amount of violence in Iraq. The number of reported incidents and casualties remained low for the fifth week after the Islamic State’s spring offensive concluded.

There were a total of 114 incidents in the media from July 22-28, 2016. Baghdad had the most with 65, followed by 18 in Ninewa, 9 in Salahaddin, 7 in Kirkuk, 7 in Diyala, 5 in Anbar, and 3 in Babil.

Those led to 227 deaths and 366 wounded. The dead consisted of 1 Sahwa, 2 Peshmerga, 5 Hashd, 27 members of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), and 192 civilians. Another 10 Hashd, 11 Peshmerga, 15 ISF, and 330 civilians were wounded. Baghdad had the most deaths as usual with 97. There were 61 in Ninewa, 31 in Anbar, 20 in Diyala, 14 in Salahaddin and 4 in Kirkuk.

There were only five incidents reported in Anbar during the week. That was the lowest amount of the year. The government announced its sixth attempt at clearing out Khalidiya Island between Ramadi and Fallujah. Each previous one seemed to peter out very quickly. The Islamic State launched several car bombs in Khalidiya in response, along with Haditha in the west and Albu Nimr in the center. A mass grave was also discovered in Fallujah with the bodies of 25 victims of IS.

Violence remained high in Baghdad as it has become the main target of the insurgents. There were 65 incidents leading to 97 fatalities and 277 injured. One car bomb went off in Amil in the south, but it only wounded five people. Another car bomb was discovered and dismantled in the outer north. Two suicide bombers also hit the province, one in Kadhimiya in the north that killed 20 and wounded 35, and another in Shula that left 6 dead and 15 injured. Eight others were killed before reaching their targets showing that IS was still committed to carrying out mass casualty bombings in the capital. As usual, the south was the most violent part of the province with 27 incidents, followed by 15 in the west, 14 in the north, 6 in the east, and 2 in the center.

Diyala had a low number of incidents, but one suicide car bomb detonated there. There were only 7 reported incidents total, a mix of IEDs, mortar fire, shootings, and crimes. A suicide car bomb went off in Khalis however with 17 fatalities and 22 injured. The insurgents have been picking up their operations in the governorate and trying large bombings there each week as well.

The militants returned to attacks upon the security forces and peshmerga in Ninewa. There were nine such incidents during the week, which were a mix of infantry assaults, mortar fire, and suicide bombers. The Islamic State also executed another 59 people in Mosul, Qayara and Hammam Al-Aleel. The Iraqi forces were making a big surge in the Qayara district, but after they took the Qayara air base most offensive operations seemed to come to a halt.

Kirkuk and Salahaddin were two more provinces that used to be ultra violent, but have now simmered down. There were only 7 incidents in Kirkuk and 9 in Salahaddin. In the latter there were a few attacks in the towns surrounding Tikrit. That was symbolic of what IS is attempting to do nation wide. After being expelled from many of the country’s urban areas it is attempting to rebuild in the rural districts to launch attacks upon the cities.

The car bombs in Baghdad and Diyala were the only successful ones in the country during the week. Another 11 were destroyed or dismantled in Anbar, Baghdad, and Salahaddin. As the Islamic State’s spring offensive has ended so has its wave of car bombs in Iraq.

Violence In Iraq 2016

Date	Incidents	Dead	Wounded
Jan 1-7	171	856	421
Jan 8-14	160	517	413
Jan 15-21	160	403	223
Jan 22-28	149	445	320
Jan 29-31	55	133	334
JAN	695	2,345	1,711
Feb 1-7	176	611	312
Feb 8-14	143	230	323
Feb 15-21	154	389	221
Feb 22-29	160	382	690
FEB	632	1,612	1,547
Mar 1-7	183	321	478
Mar 8-14	168	408	415
Mar 15-21	130	349	409
Mar 22-28	135	213	420
Mar 29-31	49	172	121
MAR	665	1,463	1,843
Apr 1-7	144	239	444
Apr 8-14	141	271	391
Apr 15-21	124	436	242
Apr 22-28	160	413	524
Apr 29-30	30	61	121
APR	599	1,420	1,722
May 1-7	160	325	420
May 8-14	141	311	674
May 15-21	121	349	604
May 22-28	142	200	397
May 29-31	83	119	313
MAY	647	1,304	2,408
Jun 1-7	162	389	1,738
Jun 8-14	132	234	461
Jun 15-21	148	352	497
Jun 22-28	119	277	362
Jun 29-30	36	409	125
JUN	598	1,666	6,315
Jul 1-7	114	463	633
Jul 8-14	125	214	316
Jul 15-21	122	167	266
Jun 22-28	114	227	366

Security By Province July 22-28, 2016

Province	Incidents
Anbar	5 Incidents 31 Killed: 2 Hashd, 4 ISF, 25 Civilians 4 Wounded: 4 ISF 1 Shooting 3 IEDs 2 Suicide Motorcycle Bombers Killed 6 Car Bombs Destroyed
Babil	3 Incidents 4 Wounded: 2 ISF, 2 Hashd 2 IEDs
Baghdad	65 Incidents 97 Killed: 1 Sahwa, 3 Hashd, 15 ISF, 78 Civilians 277 Wounded: 8 Hashd, 9 ISF, 260 Civilians 9 Shootings 40 IEDs 6 Sticky Bombs 2 Suicide Bombers 1 Car Bomb 1 Mortar 8 Suicide Bombers Arrested/killed 1 Car Bomb Dismantled
Diyala	7 Incidents 20 Killed: 20 Civilians 27 Wounded: 27 Civilians 2 Shootings 1 IED 1 Suicide Car Bomb 1 Mortar
Kirkuk	7 Incidents 4 Killed: 4 Civilians 8 Wounded: 3 Peshmerga, 5 Civilians 4 Shootings 1 IED 1 Sticky Bomb
Ninewa	18 Incidents 61 Killed: 2 Peshmerga, 8 ISF, 51 Civilians 38 Wounded: 8 Peshmerga, 30 Civilians 6 Shootings 32 IEDs 4 Mortars 8 Suicide Bombers Killed
Salahaddin	9 Incidents 14 Killed: 14 Civilians 8 Wounded: 8 Civilians 5 Shootings 2 IEDs 1 Car Bomb Destroyed 3 Suicide Car Bombs Destroyed

Car Bombs In Iraq July 2016

Date	Car Bombs	Dead	Wounded
Jul 1	Sheikh Ali, Taloul al-Baj, Salahaddin – 9 destroyed
Jul 2	Khalidiya Island, Anbar – 4 destroyed Tal Skurf, Ninewa – 5 destroyed Makhoul, Salahaddin – 1 destroyed
Jul 3	Karrada, Baghdad Jawaanh, Anbar – 3 destroyed	292	200
Jul 4	Khan Bani Saad & north of Baquba, Diyala – 2 destroyed Makhoul, Salahaddin – 1 destroyed
Jul 5	Haditha Dist, Anbar – 2 destroyed
Jul 6	Jazeera, Anbar – 3 destroyed Shirqat, Salahaddin - 2 destroyed
Jul 7
Totals	1 – 32 Destroyed	292	200
Jul 8	Hit, Anbar – 4 destroyed Alam & Shirqat, Salahaddin – 2 Destroyed
Jul 9
Jul 10
Jul 11	Muqtadiya, Diyala – 1 Destroyed
Jul 12	Rashidiya, Baghdad	12	37
Jul 13	Rashidiya, Baghdad Albu Alwan & Hit, Anbar – 5 Destroyed	8	23
Jul 14	Hit, Anbar – 5 Destroyed Qayara, Ninewa – 2 Destroyed
Totals	2 – 18 Destroyed	20	60
Jul 15	Amil, Anbar – 2 destroyed
Jul 16	Haditha, Anbar – 4 destroyed
Jul 17	Khalidiya Island & Hit, Anbar – 4 destroyed
Jul 18	Rutba, Anbar Rutba, Anbar – 1 Destroyed	3	5
Jul 19	Tarmiya, Baghdad – 1 destroyed
Jul 20
Jul 21
Totals	1 – 12 Destroyed	3	5
Jul 22	Shirqat, Salahaddin – 3 destroyed
Jul 23
Jul 24
Jul 25	Amil, Baghdad Khalis, Diyala Haditha & Khalidiya Island, Anbar – 5 destroyed Horh, Baghdad – 1 Destroyed	17	27
Jul 26	Albu Nimr, Anbar – 1 destroyed
Jul 27	Sheikh Ali, Salahaddin 1 destroyed
Jul 28
Totals	2 – 11 Destroyed	17	27

SOURCES

AIN, "Dismantling a car bomb north Baghdad," 7/25/16

BBC, "Baghdad bomb blast: 'Islamic State behind attack' that kills 20," 7/24/16

BBC, "Iraq car bomb kills 17 in Khalis, in attack claimed by IS," 7/25/16

Al Forat, "Destroying a bomb and killed a number of terrorists in the area of Albu Nimr, Anbar," 7/26/16

Iraqi News, "Forces gun down 14 ISIS at Khalidiya in eastern Ramadi," 7/25/16

- "Mass grave containing 25 skeletal remains found in Fallujah," 7/27/16

Al Jazeera, "Iraq: Homes of 'convicted terrorists' to be destroyed," 7/27/16

Al Maalomah, "11 Daash killed and the destruction of two car bombs by aerial bombardment western Anbar," 7/25/16

- "14 Daash killed and the destruction of three car bomb east of Ramadi in the process of clearing areas," 7/25/16

Al Mada, "Three suicide bombers tried to target the joint forces and displaced people frustrated north of Tikrit," 7/22/16

NINA, "12 Terrorists Killed, A Car Bomb Destroyed Northern Salahuddin," 7/27/16

Salaheddin, Sinan, "Iraq: Suicide attack in Baghdad kills at least 14 people," Associated Press, 7/24/16

Sotaliraq, "Injuring five people when a car bomb blew up near Japanese house in the Amil district southwest Baghdad," 7/26/16