Monday, May 25, 2020

Security In Iraq, May 15-21, 2020

For the third week in a row the Islamic State picked up the number of attacks in Iraq. The insurgents are back to the same level of operations as 2018. They are also focusing upon the Iraqi security forces probably meant to establish military dominance over the rural areas they operate in.

From May 15-21, 2020 there were a total of 66 incidents recorded in the media. One of those was a pro-Iran group firing rockets at the Green Zone in Baghdad. The 65 attacks by the Islamic State were the most since the 2nd week of June 2018 when there were 67 incidents recorded. There was 1 incident in Babil, 2 in Irbil, 4 in Ninewa, 5 in Anbar, 7 in Baghdad, 11 in Kirkuk, 12 in Salahaddin and 24 in Diyala.

Those incidents left 109 casualties, the second highest weekly amount of the year, and the most Iraqi casualties during 2020. 13 Hashd al-Shaabi, 15 civilians, and 17 Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) were killed and 6 civilians, 23 Hashd, and 35 ISF were wounded. Diyala had the most casualties with 39 followed by 37 in Salahaddin. Since IS’s new campaign started in April the militants have been going after the security forces more than civilians, which is something they hadn’t done since the war ended.

Attacks in Babil, Irbil, Ninewa, Anbar, and Baghdad were all in the single digits during the week. In Babil IS infiltrated into the Jurf al-Sakhr district again leading to a shoot-out that left 1 Hashd wounded. The village of Azikandi in the Makhmour district in southern Irbil had its fields burned two days in a row. Ninewa saw 4 incidents two of which were fields being burned south of Mosul. A checkpoint was also attacked in the Qayara district also in the south. Anbar witnessed 5 incidents, which was the same level as the previous weeks. That included an infiltration attempt in Akashat which is in the west along the Syrian border, a gun battle in Garma Island in the east, and a car bomb being discovered. There were 7 incidents in Baghdad including the pro-Iran rocket incident. 6 incidents by IS was the most in the province since the third week of February. Half of the attacks took place on one day in the Tarmiya district in the outer north including an IED which hit an army patrol, a kidnapping and a shooting. This could mark the third attempt by the militants to infiltrate back into the governorate. IS usually carries out at least one operation in Babil every week or so to harass the Hashd that have turned the Jurf al-Sakrh district into a major base. Starting this year IS has been moving into southern Irbil to attack Kurdish farms and villages having found a weakness in security there. Burning fields is meant to drive people out of rural areas so that IS can operate unimpeded and force farmers to pay taxes. Anbar is mostly used as a transit point for moving men and material in from neighboring Syria. Twice the militants made concert efforts to get back into Baghdad but gave up each time. It must eventually focus upon the capital if it wants to pose a serious threat to the government. It obviously has routes into and out of the city itself, but simply hasn’t been able to sustain its operations there. Finally, IS has a presence in western and southern Ninewa. Those forces in the west appear to be focused upon rebuilding cadre because there are hardly any incidents there. The south is much more active, but even then the number of attacks has gone up and down throughout the year.

Diyala, Kirkuk and Salahaddin saw the most violence during the week. Diyala is the center of IS activity in Iraq. There were 24 incidents there during the week. On May 16 alone there were 11 attacks. There was one kidnapping, 3 electricity towers were blown up, the security forces got into 2 shoot outs, 3 checkpoints were assaulted, and 6 fields were set afire. Of the 39 casualties 29 were soldiers, police and Hashd members showing that IS is attempting to assert military control over the rural areas it works in. The insurgents’ main activity in Kirkuk was setting fields ablaze with 6 such incidents. Three checkpoints were also attacked. Of the three deaths all were from the ISF. Finally, Salahaddin had 12 incidents including an electricity tower being bombed, a police station being attacked, 2 fields being burned along with 2 checkpoints being shot at. Like Diyala, 31 of the 37 casualties in Salahaddin came from the ISF and Hashd. In Diyala, the Islamic State has expanded its attacks along a diagonal axis. At first, they were concentrating upon the Jalawla-Khanaqin District in the northeast by the Kurdistan-Iranian border where there is a gap between the Peshmerga and Iraqi forces. In recent weeks they’ve moved south into the center hitting the Mansuriya and Muqdadiya districts. Those four areas accounted for roughly 75% of the incidents during the week. In Kirkuk, all the incidents take place in the Hawija and Daquq areas in the south and southeast where the militants were never rooted from during the war. Attacks had gone up and down in Salahaddin in previous months. Now the militants are much more active there across a variety of areas. For one, they hit the Tuz Kharmato district in the east three times. IS just returned to that area and might have sent forces from northern Diyala which is nearby. There were also two incidents in Samarra in the center, three in Dujail in the south, and other areas. It appears that IS might be testing out various locations in the governorate looking for vulnerable points.

Security Incidents In Iraq By Province
Province
May 1-7
May 8-14
May 15-21
Anbar
4
4
5
Babil
1
3
1
Baghdad
2/1 Pro-Iran
4
7/1 Pro-Iran
Diyala
15
22
24
Irbil
1
3
2
Kirkuk
9
5
11
Ninewa
6
2
4
Salahaddin
6
6
12
TOTAL
44/1 Pro-Iran
49
66/1 Pro-Iran

Casualties In Iraq By Province
Province
May 1-7
May 8-14
May 15-21
Anbar
-
10 (3K, 7W)
6 (3K, 3W)
Babil
1 (1W)
3 (2K, 1W)
1 (1W)
Baghdad
-
10 (10W)
21 (6K, 15W)
Diyala
47 (22K, 25W)
32 (13K, 19W)
39 (19K, 20W)
Kirkuk
9 (8K, 1W)
1 (1W)
3 (3K)
Ninewa
10 (6K, 4W)
4 (4W)
2 (2K)
Salahaddin
15 (11K, 4W)
8 (3K, 5W)
37 (12K, 25W)
TOTAL
83 (47K, 36W)
68 (21K, 47W)
109 (45K, 64W)

Islamic State Activity in Iraq 2018-20
Diyala
Shootings
(Totals)
IEDs/
Sticky Bombs
(Totals)
Gun Battles
Attacks on Checkpoints
Attacks on Mukhtars/
Sheikhs
Kidnappings
Attacks on Towns
Suicide Bombers
Car Bombs
2018
Totals
219
198
47
43
5
13
25
3
1
2019
Totals
185
112
33
63
2
6
29
2
-
Jan 2020
13
6
-
2
-
1
-
-
-
Feb
16
5
2
8
-
1
-
-
-
Mar
15
10
4
2
-
-
-
-
-
Apr
20
17
4
2
-
-
-
-
-
May
34
16
8
7
1
3
15
-
-

Kirkuk
Shootings
(Totals)
IEDs/
Sticky Bombs
(Totals)
Gun Battles
Attacks on Checkpoints
Attacks on Mukhtars/
Sheikhs
Kidnappings
Attacks on Towns
Suicide Bombers
Car Bombs
2018
Totals
172
182
39
18
10
14
29
9
6
2019
Totals
77
116
24
19
6
8
18
-
1
Jan 2020
10
1
2
2
-
1
-
-
-
Feb
5
-
2
1
-
2
1
-
-
Mar
1
-
-
1
-
-
-
-
-
Apr
17
7
6
3
-
2
1
1
-
May
11
9
-
7
1
2
6
-
-

Ninewa
Shootings
(Totals)
IEDs/
Sticky Bombs
(Totals)
Gun Battles
Attacks on Checkpoints
Attacks on Mukhtars/
Sheikhs
Kidnappings
Attacks on Towns
Suicide Bombers
Car Bombs
2018
Totals
139
74
43
7
5
6
6
2
3
2019
Totals
63
49
14
3
9
6
17
-
3
Jan 2020
7
5
2
1
-
1
-
-
-
Feb
5
5
-
-
1
-
-
-
1
Mar
2
5
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
Apr
8
8
1
4
-
1
1
-
-
May
5
6
-
2
-
-
2
-
-

Salahaddin
Shootings
(Totals)
IEDs/
Sticky Bombs
(Totals)
Gun Battles
Attacks on Checkpoints
Attacks on Mukhtars/
Sheikhs
Kidnappings
Attacks on Towns
Suicide Bombers
Car Bombs
2018
Totals
110
102
41
18
1
16
4
9
5
2019
Totals
60
54
32
5
2
6
8
2
6
Jan 2020
4
-
-
1
1
-
-
-
-
Feb
5
-
1
-
-
1
-
-
-
Mar
5
2
3
-
-
-
-
-
-
Apr
4
3
3
-
-
1
-
-
-
May
17
6
8
3
-
2
2
-
-
           
Security In Iraq 2019-20
Week
Security
Incidents
(Total/By IS)
Dead
(Total/By IS)
Wounded
(Total/By IS)
Jan 1-7
32
17/10
24
Jan 8-14
32
94/31
53
Jan 15-21
22
17/11
16/14
Jan 22-28
27
36/17
31
Jan 29-31
12
7
6
JAN 2019
114
139
130/128
Feb 1-7
29/1
76/16
30
Feb 8-14
24
26
18
Feb 15-21
40
112/37
12
Feb 22-28
25
36
70
FEB
118/1
250/115
130
Mar 1-7
13
22
45
Mar 8-14
19
75/10
37
Mar 15-21
12
66/37
21/11
Mar 22-28
13
8/5
1
Mar 29-31
6
8
7
MAR
61
147
101
Apr 1-7
20
22
13
Apr 8-14
41
28
42
Apr 15-21
17
9/8
26
Apr 22-28
19
45
15
Apr 29-30
2
1
4
APR
99
105
100
May 1-7
20
15
18
May 8-14
24
31
41
May 15-21
37/1
62/25
39
May 22-28
43
39
54
May 29-31
13
16
48
MAY
137/1
163/125
200
Jun 1-7
26
19
44
Jun 8-14
25/1
29
15
Jun 15-21
21/2
6
13/10
Jun 22-28
18
17
41
Jun 29-30
9
3
9
JUN
99/3
74
122/119
Jul 1-7
20
11
39
Jul 8-14
14
31
10
Jul 15-21
17
14
37
Jul 22-28
23
14
20
Jul 29-31
8
13
13
JUL
82
83
119
Aug 1-7
27
14
31
Aug 8-14
18
13
13
Aug 15-21
20
33
15
Aug 22-28
27
24
72
Aug 29-31
11
19
10
AUG
104
103
141
Sep 1-7
39
39
38
Sep 8-14
30
35
43
Sep 15-21
23
27
26
Sep 22-28
24/1
15
20
Sep 29-30
7
6
4
SEP
123/1
122
131
Oct 1-7
3
1
2
Oct 8-14
14
25
17
Oct 15-21
19
29
13
Oct 22-28
22/1
33
10
Oct 29-31
12/1
4
11
Oct
70/2
92
53
Nov 1-7
6/1
4
1
Nov 8-14
9/1
2
25
Nov 15-21
15/1
11
2
Nov 22-28
17/1
24
33
Nov 29-30
8/1
6
37
Nov
55/5
47
98
Dec 1-7
36/3
33
44
Dec 8-14
19/3
19
19
Dec 15-21
26
44
25
Dec 22-28
30/1
30
38
Dec 29-31
9
8
7
Dec
120/7
134
133
Jan 1-7
25/7
16
84
Jan 8-14
24/3
12
34
Jan 15-21
23/2
11
12
Jan 22-28
11/1
10
8
Jan 29-31
8/1
4
1
Jan 2020
91/12
53
139
Feb 1-7
22
13
11
Feb 8-14
18/1
5
38
Feb 15-21
16/2
42
18
Feb 22-28
25
15
34
Feb 29
4
5
2
Feb
85/3
80
103
Mar 1-7
17/3
11
17
Mar 8-14
15/2
13
33
Mar 15-21
14/2
5
19
Mar 22-28
14/1
13
11
Mar 29-31
9
5
10
Mar
69/8
47
90
Ap 1-7
27/1
27
37
Apr 8-14
24
25
51
Apr 15-21
33/1
19
34
Apr 22-28
22
8
40
Apr 29-30
5
2
4
Apr
111/2
81
165
May 1-7
44/1
47
36
May 8-14
49
21
47
May 15-21
66/1
45
64

Violence By Province May 15-21 2020
Province
Violence
Anbar
5 Incidents
3 Killed
1 ISF
2 Hashd
3 Wounded
1 Hashd
2 ISF

3 Shootings
1 IED
1 Car Bomb Dismantled
Babil
1 Incident
1 Wounded
1 Hashd

1 Shooting
Baghdad
7/1 Pro-Iran
6 Killed
3 Civilians
3 ISF
15 Wounded
2 Civilians
13 ISF

1 Shooting
6 IEDs
1 Sticky Bomb
1 Rockets
Diyala
24 Incidents
19 Killed
6 Civilians
6 ISF
7 Hashd
20 Wounded
2 ISF
4 Civilians
14 Hashd

11 Shootings
6 IEDs
1 Sticky Bomb
1 Mortar
6 Fields Burned
Irbil
2 Incidents

2 Fields Burned
Kirkuk
11 Incidents
3 Killed
3 ISF

5 Shootings
1 Rockets
6 Fields Burned
Ninewa
4 Incidents
2 Killed
2 ISF

1 Shooting
1 IED
2 Fields Burned
Salahaddin
12 Incidents
12 Killed
2 ISF
4 Hashd
6 Civilians
25 Wounded
7 Hashd
18 ISF

7 Shootings
4 IEDs
2 Fields Burned
5 Suicide Bombers Killed

SOURCES

AIN, "Local official: ISIS burns wheat fields in Al-Awamra villages in Diyala," 5/17/20
- "The Popular Mobilization foils a terrorist operation to detonate an electricity transmission tower in northwestern Amerli," 5/19/20

Asharq Al-Awsat, "Iraq Military: Rocket Hit Baghdad Green Zone, Minor Damages," 5/19/20

Baghdad Post, "An attempt to detonate a car bomb filled with explosives in Anbar was thwarted," 5/21/20
- "A civilian was killed by unknown gunmen in Al-Muqdadiya District, Diyala Governorate," 5/15/20
- "For the second time in 24 hours … fires devour the wheat crop in Makhmour and the government does not move a finger," 5/17/20
- "ISIS operatives blew up 3 energy towers in Diyala," 5/19/20
- "One dead and two injured in a minibus explosion, southeast of Baghdad," 5/19/20
- "A soldier was killed by ISIS sniper fire in Kirkuk," 5/20/20

Bas News, "Crops of Kurdish Farmers Burned in Kirkuk," 5/15/20
- "Daquq: Kurdish Farms Burned to Ashes," 5/15/20
- "Diyala: 120 Dunam of Crops Set on Fire," 5/16/20
- "Diyala: Lawyer Assassinated, Two Children Severely Injured in Separate Attacks," 5/17/20
- "Fire Burns Kurdish Farms in Disputed Makhmour," 5/17/20
- "Khanaqin: Two Kurdish Villagers Abducted," 5/15/20
- "Kurdish Crops in Disputed Khanaqin Burned to Ashes," 5/19/20
- "More Kurdish Crops Burned to Ashes tin Disputed Areas," 5/20/20
- "More Wheat Farms Burned in Makhmour," 5/17/20
- "Roadside Bomb Kills, Wounds Five Iraqi Militiamen in Diyala,' 5/18/20
- "Separate IS Attacks Kill 6 Iraqi Militias, Injure 6 Others in Diyala," 5/16/20

Al Forat, "Pictures .. Four ISIS militants, including two suicide bombers, were killed in Salahaddin," 5/19/20
- “The security media reveals the achievements of the Lions of Jazeera up until now,” 5/17/20

Iraq Newspaper, "ISIS executes Mashaan al-Assafi in Anbar," 5/17/20
- "The terrorist organization ISIS admits killing and wounding 10 soldiers by detonating two devices near Al-Ani station in Radwaniya today, Sunday," 5/17/20

Al Maalomah, "An associate was killed in the tribal crowd, and another was wounded by an explosive device, in western Anbar," 5/18/20
- "The crowd and police clash with ISIS, burning agricultural lands southwest of Kirkuk," 5/19/20
- "The crowd announces ISIS failure to penetrate the walls of the Khanaqin countryside 3 times within 24 hours," 5/15/20
- "Killing and wounding 5 of the crowd, a final outcome of the attack, Albu Merhi, Diyala," 5/15/20
- "The Popular Mobilization foils an attack by ISIS in western Anbar," 5/15/20
- "Two children were wounded by unknown fire in Diyala," 5/16/20https://www.almaalomah.com/2020/05/16/474505/

NINA, "The Civil Defense in Nineveh extinguishes big fires in a number of agricultural lands in the governorate," 5/16/20
- "A civilian assassinated in Al-Wajihiya neighborhood, in Diyala," 5/15/20
- "A Fighter In The PMF Killed And Another Wounded By An IED On Al-Jazeera In Salah Al-Din," 5/18/20
- "Four terrorists killed by armed clash south of Salah al-Din," 5/19/20
- "An Infiltration Attempt For A Group Of ISIS Foiled In Samarra," 5/14/20
- "ISIS Bomb A Village With Mortars And Burn Wheat Fields In Jalawla, Diyala," 5/20/20
- "ISIS Kill 2 Policemen, South Of Mosul," 5/17/20
- "ISIS Targets Two Electricity Transmission Towers In Diyala," 5/19/20
- "An officer was killed by an explosive device in his car, northeast of Baquba," 5/19/20
- "A Policeman Killed By ISIS Attack In Kirkuk," 5/16/20
- "The popular crowd thwarts an attempt to ISIS to infiltrate into the Jurf Al-Nasr," 5/19/20
- "The popular crowd thwarts the attempt to detonate electrical transmission towers in Diyala," 5/18/20
- "The Popular Mobilization Forces Thwarts An Attempt To Infiltrate ISIS Southwest Of Kirkuk," 5/16/20
- "Security Source: ISIS Detonates A Bulldozer Operation Within The Project to Extend Pipelines South Of Mosul," 5/21/20
- "A soldier killed in a terrorist attack south of Kirkuk governorate," 5/18/20
- "Three explosive devices processed in a residential building in Baghdad," 5/19/20
- "Three members of the popular crowd were injured in an explosive device explosion in Khanaqin," 5/15/20

Shafaaq News, "A bombing kills an electrician in Diyala," 5/20/20
- "Fires devour wheat and barley crops in Khanaqin and Jalawla," 5/16/20
- "ISIS launched a new attack on the police in Salahaddin," 5/15/20
- "A victim and wounded from the popular crowd who were ambushed by ISIS in Salahaddin," 5/17/20

Shilani, Hiwa, "Over a dozen Iraqi forces, civilians killed or wounded in ISIS attacks in 4 provinces," 5/16/20

Al Sumaria, "A civilian was killed by a deadly weapons attack north of Baghdad," 5/15/20
-"A Hashd force foils an ISIS infiltration attempt in Khanaqin and crashes a drone," 5/16/20
- "ISIS operatives kidnap and kill a man in Tarmiya," 5/15/20
- "Killing and wounding three in ISIS attack on Garma Island,' 5/20/20
- "One person was killed and another injured in a bombing in Diyala," 5/18/20
- "Security expert: Five suicide bombers were killed in Salahaddin," 5/19/20

Xinhua, "2 IS militants, 1 Hashd Shaabi member killed in attacks in Iraq," 5/18/20
- "2 killed in IS bomb attack in Iraq," 5/13/20
- "2 security members killed, 3 wounded in IS attack in Iraq," 5/16/20
- "6 family members killed by IS militants in Iraq," 5/14/20
- "6 IS militants, policeman killed in attacks in Iraq," 5/16/20

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