Violence In Iraq, March 1-7, 2017

There were a total of 179 incidents reported in Iraq in the first week of March. That was just around the same amount as the previous week when there were 181. Those high figures were due to the fighting in Mosul.

A total of 749 people were killed and 622 wounded. 21 Peshmerga, 21 Hashd al-Shaabi, 37 members of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), and 670 civilians lost their lives. Another 2 Sahwa, 50 Hashd, 131 ISF, and 439 Civilians were injured.

Anbar had 10 incidents, 14 deaths, and 6 wounded. That was on average for the year. 2 car bombs were destroyed in Ramadi and outside the city. There was also an insurgent attack upon Rutba, and mortar fire on an army base in the west. Otherwise, violence has remained at a low level in the province. The Anbar government is anxious for Baghdad to free the border area next to Syria that is still under control of the Islamic State. That won’t happen until Mosul is freed.

There were 34 incidents in Baghdad leading to 25 fatalities and 50 injures. Since the Mosul campaign started violence in the capital has dropped off by 50% of more. There were no mass casualty bombings during the week leaving the 21 IEDs as the main killer. Unlike most weeks, incidents were spread out evenly across Baghdad with 8 in the east, 8 in the north, 8 in the west, and 9 in the south. Usually the north and south are the most dangerous.

Diyala witnessed 10 incidents, 28 deaths and 8 wounded. On March 6 there were three attacks upon checkpoints just northeast of the provincial capital of Baquba. A mass grave was discovered in Daquq with the bodies of 20 Peshmerga executed by the Islamic State. Provincial officials are complaining about IS rebuilding in the province, but they are not active there much.

The Islamic State still controls the Hawija district in southern Kirkuk, but the province is relatively secure. There were only 6 incidents leading to 18 killed and 2 wounded. 15 of the fatalities were executed by IS in Hawija and 7 bodies found.

Ninewa was obviously the most violent area of the country with the Mosul campaign on going. There were 108 incidents reported with 655 people losing their lives, and 522 wounded. Coalition air strikes were blamed for 95 deaths and 26 injured. The Islamic State was accused of executing another 102 people. The rest were mostly killed in the fighting in west Mosul, which has taken a heavy toll on the civilian population. There is also constant shelling of the liberated east, but that is disappearing from the press due to the western operation.

Salahaddin is the other province where IS is believed to be reforming. So far, the group is only carrying out attacks in their traditional areas such as Alas in the northeast, and outside Samarra in the center of the governorate. Those only happen sporadically however, which accounts for only 8 incidents, 9 deaths, and 30 wounded during the week.

Violence In Iraq 2017

Date	Incidents	Dead	Wounded
Jan 1-7	188	509	1,346
Jan 8-14	168	363	1,044
Jan 15-21	137	583	1,264
Jan 22-28	145	289	310
Jan 29-31	74	127	338
JAN	712	1,871	4,302
Feb 1-7	123	388	176
Feb 8-14	164	433	391
Feb 15-21	145	381	505
Feb 22-28	181	630 + 399	1,386 + 1,634
FEB	613	1,832 + 399	2,458 + 1,634
Mar 1-7	179	749	622

Violence By Province Mar 1-7, 2017

Province	Violence
Anbar	10 Incidents 14 Killed: 6 Civilians, 8 ISF 6 Wounded: 3 Civilians, 3 ISF 2 Shootings 2 IEDs 2 Rockets 1 Mortar 1 Suicide Bomber Killed 2 Car Bombs
Babil	2 Incidents 4 Wounded: 4 Hashd 1 IED
Baghdad	34 Incidents 25 Killed: 3 ISF, 22 Civilians 50 Wounded: 2 Sahwa, 5 ISF, 43 Civilians 9 Shootings 21 IEDs 2 Sticky Bombs
Diyala	10 Incidents 28 Killed: 3 Hashd, 5 ISF, 20 Peshmerga 8 Wounded: 8 Hashd 5 Shootings 2 IEDs 1 Mortar
Irbil	1 Incident 1 Shooting
Kirkuk	6 Incidents 18 Killed: 1 ISF, 1 Peshmerga, 16 Civilians 2 Wounded: 1 Civilian, 1 ISF 3 Shootings 2 IEDs
Ninewa	108 Incidents 655 Killed: 9 Hashd, 20 ISF, 626 Civilians 522 Wounded: 8 Hashd, 122 ISF, 392 Civilians 26 Shootings 12 IEDs 1 Suicide Bomber 5 Car Bombs 1 Motorcycle Bomb 4 Rockets 14 Mortars 1 Drone Strike 33 Suicide Bombers Killed/Arrested 1 Suicide Car Bomb Destroyed 107 Car Bombs Destroyed
Salahaddin	8 Incidents 9 Killed: 9 Hashd 30 Wounded: 30 Hashd 5 Shootings 1 Mortar 1 Grenade

SOURCES

Baghdad Post, "8 Iraqi security personnel killed in armed attack in Anbar," 3/4/17

- "ISIS attack on Sadrist Saray al-Salam kills, injures 30 elements," 3/1/17

- "One IMIS element killed, 3 injured in armed attack east of Diyala," 3/6/17

- "Seven IMIS elements killed, injured in attack by ISIS in Baqouba," 3/6/17

Mostafa, Mohamed, "Mass grave of Peshmerga fighters found in Kirkuk," Iraqi News, 3/5/17

Al-Najar, Kamaran, "Wellheads burn at Hamrin field after deadly IS attack," Iraq Oil Report, 3/7/17

Shafaaq News, "Peshmerga announce finding seven unidentified bodies east Kirkuk," 3/7/17

Al Sumaria, "A car bomb exploded under control at the western entrance to Ramadi," 3/5/17

- "Car Bomb exploded under control west of Ramadi," 3/3/17

- "Daesh executed eight civilians accused of facilitating the escape of families from Hawija," 3/6/17

- "Thwart a Daesh attack on oil fields southwest of Kirkuk," 3/1/17

- "Thwarting an attack on a checkpoint northeast of Baquba," 3/6/17

- "Wounding three soldiers in Daesh shelling targeting a military headquarters western Anbar," 3/7/17