Security In Iraq, Jun 1-7, 2018

Security in Iraq in the first week of June 2018 remained largely the same as May. The new mean is around 50 incidents, which has happened 4 of the last 5 weeks. Casualties have been stable as a result as well.

There were 55 incidents from June 1-7. In April, there were 40 incidents 3 of the 4 weeks, and then in May there were 50 incidents 3 of those 4 weeks. Baghdad with 11 and Salahaddin with 14 led the country in violence.

Security Incidents In Iraq By Province May 22-28, 2018

Babil 1

Basra 1

Irbil 1

Anbar 2

Kurdistan 4

Ninewa 5

Diyala 7

Kirkuk 9

Baghdad 11

Salahaddin 14

Casualties In Iraq By Province May 22-28, 2018

Babil 4 (4 Wounded)

Diyala 5 (3 Killed, 2 Wounded)

Kirkuk 8 (2 Killed, 6 Wounded)

Kurdistan 10 (9 Killed, 1 Wounded)

Baghdad 20 (8 Killed, 12 Wounded)

Salahaddin 40 (33 Killed, 7 Wounded)

Ninewa 45 (45 Killed)

100 people died and 32 were wounded during the week. There were 41 bodies discovered in Ninewa leaving 59 violent deaths, which was just around the same amount as each week in May. Most those corpses were coming from the rubble of the Old City in Mosul. Over 1,200 bodies have been recovered in just the last two weeks. Most have been labeled Islamic State members without reportedly actually checking their identities, so most have not been added to the weekly totals. 3 Turkish soldiers, 6 members of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), 9 Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), 13 Hashd al-Shaabi, and 69 civilians lost their lives, and 1 Turkish soldier, 2 ISF, 8 Hashd, and 21 civilians were injured.

Violence has completely fallen off in Anbar over the last year and half. This week there were two suicide bombers who were killed before they could set off their devices.

Babil is another area where violence picked up at the start of 2018, and has since fallen off. An IED went off in Iskandiriya wounding 4 Hashd. Attacks are down to about one every other week now when before there was about one every other day.

There were 11 incidents in Baghdad. All were low level like shootings and IEDs. An explosives stash detonated in Sadr City, apparently in a building used by Moqtada al-Sadr’s Sayara Salam militia that left over 100 casualties. This caused a huge controversy, and the government promised it would take some action.

There were few attacks in Diyala, but their nature remained troubling. The Islamic State attacked three towns during the week. This is becoming routine now. The insurgents are active in all the rural areas, and have been rebuilding in the province. Despite constant sweeps, the security forces have not been able to stop this escalation in operations by the militants.

In May, there was a huge explosion in attacks in Kirkuk because of the elections. Things have since calmed down. There were 9 incidents in the first week of June. There was one shoot out with IS, an infiltration attempt and an IED on a Hashd house. Southern Kirkuk is another place where IS is rebuilding and these incidents show its attempt to re-establish control in those areas.

Turkey has moved deeper into northern Kurdistan. It is attempting to push the PKK away from the border and has threatened to attack its main base in Qandil, which it has been operating out of for decades. Prime Minister Haidar Abadi said that Ankara had to respect Iraq’s sovereignty and that Baghdad would not allow any group to use Iraqi territory to attack its neighbors, but the central government, and not even the Kurdistan government has any influence over this area. That means that the Turks will continue their campaign which has entered its third month now. 3 Turkish soldiers, 6 PKK were killed, and 1 Turkish soldier was wounded in clashes and air strikes during the week.

Besides the bodies being found there were three attacks in Ninewa. One was a gun battle with IS, while the other two were IEDs. Overall, this province is another one where the insurgency has trailed off.

Salahaddin like Diyala is another area where the insurgency is making a comeback. A car bomb went off in Tikrit. The last vehicle bomb occurred during the third week of April. There were two gun battles, while the rest of the incidents were more routine such as IEDs.

Security In Iraq 2017-18

Week	Security Incidents	Dead	Wounded
JAN 2017	719	1,923	4,374
FEB	628	1,891 + 399	2,511 + 1,634
MAR	720	3,504 + 278	3,302 + 2,925
APR	578	2,933	1,955
MAY	528	2,038	1,563
JUN	534	2,038	1,563
JUL	478	1,490	650
AUG	359	1,949	584
SEP	306	728	549
OCT	286	913	865 + 1,700
NOV	296	1,282	425
DEC	261	763	300
Jan 1-7	71	50	66
Jan 8-14	64	62	70
Jan 15-21	68	156	151
Jan 22-28	68	148	66
Jan 29-31	27	23	22
JAN 2018	298	439	375
Feb 1-7	66	196	67
Feb 8-14	65	63	93
Feb 15-21	59	346	43
Feb 22-28	55	44	72
FEB	245	649	275
Mar 1-7	78	120	84
Mar 8-14	60	84	61
Mar 15-21	67	168	98
Mar 22-28	81	213	61
Mar 29-31	21	26	35
MAR	307	611	339
Apr 1-7	40	174	29
Apr 8-14	64	175	83
Apr 15-21	44	63	72
Apr 22-28	44	62	48
Apr 29-30	12	12	4
APR	204	486	236
May 1-7	51	57	56
May 8-14	56	68	49
May 15-21	39	58	82
May 22-28	51	73	51
May 29-31	21	42	15
MAY	218	298	253
Jun 1-7	55	100	32

Violence By Province Jun 1-7, 2018

Province	Violence
Anbar	2 Incidents 2 Suicide Bombers Killed
Babil	1 Incident 4 Wounded 4 Hashd 1 IED
Baghdad	11 Incidents 8 Killed 8 Civilians 12 Wounded 12 Civilians 6 Shootings 5 IEDs
Basra	1 Incident 1 Grenade
Diyala	7 Incidents 3 Killed 1 ISF 2 Civilians 2 Wounded 2 Civilians 6 Shootings 2 IEDs 2 Mortars
Irbil	1 Incident
Kirkuk	9 Incidents 2 Killed 2 ISF 6 Wounded 2 ISF 4 Civilians 5 Shootings 3 IEDs
Kurdistan	4 Incidents 9 Killed 3 Turkish Soldiers 6 PKK 1 Wounded 1 Turkish Soldier 1 Shooting 1 Rocket 2 Turkish Air Strikes
Ninewa	5 Incidents 45 Killed 2 ISF 43 Civilians 1 Shooting 2 IEDs
Salahaddin	14 Incidents 33 Killed 4 ISF 13 Hashd 16 Civilians 7 Wounded 3 Civilians 4 Hashd 5 Shootings 4 IEDs 1 Sticky Bomb 1 Car Bomb 1 Mortar

SOURCES

Anadolu Agency, "Turkish jets kill 3 PKK terrorists in northern Iraq," 6/5/18

Ebraheem, Mohammed, "Four Shiite fighters killed in clashes with Islamic State in Iraq's Salahuddin," Iraqi News, 6/4/18

- "Six paramilitary troops killed, wounded in clashes with Islamic State in Iraq," Iraqi News, 6/5/18

Al Ghad Press, "An attack on a village east Diyala was foiled," 6/1/18

Iraq Newspaper, "Daash Terrorists Blow Up A House Belonging To The 56th Brigade In The Popular Crowd In Hawija And Kill Two Policemen In Mosul," 6/3/18

Al Maalomah, "High security measures were imposed east of Ramadi hours after a suicide bomber tried to blow himself up," 6/7/18

Mannocchi, Francesca, “Inside Mosul: Where the dead are swept away as looters scour the ruins,” Middle East Eye, 6/1/18

Mostafa, Nehal, "Iraqi police kill Islamic State suicide attacker, west of Anbar: Commander," Iraqi News, 6/5/18

- "Islamic State attack came in response to arresting militants in Diyala: Source," Iraqi News, 6/7/18

- "Three Islamic State members killed in infiltration attempt into south of Kirkuk," Iraqi News, 6/7/18

- "Three people wounded in booby-trapped car explosion in Tikrit," Iraqi News, 6/3/18

Nawzad, Kosar, "Kurdish villagers fend off Islamic State attack," Kurdistan 24, 6/7/18

NINA, "/11/ Turkish soldiers killed by PKK," 6/6/18

- "Four members of the popular crowd were injured when a bomb exploded north of Hilla," 6/2/18

Shafaaq News, "An armed clash with Iraqi forces in Hawija, Kirkuk," 6/7/18

- "The killing and wounding of Turkish soldiers in the destruction of their vehicle in the Kurdistan Region," 6/2/18

- "Turkey announces the killing of 3 members of the Kurdistan Workers Party in Iraq," 6/3/18

Xinhua, “Iraqi PM orders probe into deadly blast in eastern Baghdad,” 6/7/18