Wednesday, June 10, 2020

Security In Iraq Jun 1-7, 2020


For the second week in a row violence dropped in Iraq. This might mean the sharp rise in attacks from April to May that reached 2018 levels might be over. On the other hand, the Iraqi forces conducted a large operation in the core areas where IS operates which could account for the drop. Only time will tell.

During the first week of June there were 17 incidents. That was the lowest amount since the fourth week of March before the Islamic State’s offensive started. That was down from 30 incidents the last full week of June, and a yearly high of 66 the week before that. There could be three reasons for the change. One is that the Islamic State’s offensive that started in May is now over. Two, this might be a temporary dip and incidents will go back up in the coming weeks as the insurgents usually carry out a spring-summer offensive lasting for several months. Third is that the recent government security operation called Iraqi Heroes caused the reduced number of incidents. The government forces went through the Waqf Basin in central Diyala, part of the Khanaqin district in the northeast, the Kirkuk-Salahaddin border in the southwest, the Hamrin Mountains and part of the Tuz Kharmato district in eastern Salahaddin. These are some of the core militant areas in the country. When the security forces move through an area IS steps back and then returns when they’re over. The coming weeks will tell which of these scenarios might be correct.
The Iraqi Heroes operation in Diyala, Kirkuk, and Salahaddin might have accounted for the drop in Islamic State attacks during the first week fo June (NINA)
 
There were 32 casualties during the week. 4 Hashd al-Shaabi, 4 Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), and 5 civilians lost their lives. Another 2 civilians and 17 ISF were injured. Kirkuk had the most casualties with 14 followed by 10 in Diyala, and four each in Anbar and Irbil.

There were four incidents in Anbar. That included two gun battles, an IED upon a Hashd patrol, and mortars fired in the Rutba district in the west towards the Jordanian border. That was a lot of attacks for one week in the province. For example, there were 7 incidents total in January, 5 in February and 6 in March. Anbar is mostly used as a way station between Iraq and Syria but violence has increased with the new IS offensive. The army and Hashd carried out a sweep through the desert around Ramadi at the end of the week as well.

There were no incidents in Baghdad during the week. In May there was a large increase in incidents pointing towards another attempt by IS to infiltrate into the capital province. Again, it’s too early to tell whether that effort is over or not.

Diyala witnessed five incidents. There was a kidnapping, an infiltration attempt and a shooting in a town all in the Khanaqin district in the northeast, along with two other shootings in the Muqdadiya district in the center. Diyala is the main base for the insurgency in Iraq. Again, there were two large security sweeps that might have accounted for the low level of activity during the week compared to previous ones.

IS continues to hit the Makhmour district in southern Irbil. An army convoy was struck by an IED killing two soldiers and wounding two more. The insurgency has found gaps in the security in this area and are seeking to exploit it.

Three fields were burned in Kirkuk, and there were two more IEDs hitting the ISF. One bomb led to 10 police being wounded which was a very large amount of victims for a single IED. All of the incidents in the governorate take place in the south. That led to the Iraqi Heroes operation to start there on June 2 in an attempt to disrupt IS’s operations.

A suicide bomber was killed and an attempt to burn a field was stopped in Salahaddin. May saw a huge spike in violence in the governorate. Again, the Iraqi Heroes operation went through two parts of the province where IS is most active so that could account for the low level of activity.

Security Incidents In Iraq By Province
Province
Jun 1-7
Anbar
4
Diyala
5
Irbil
1
Kirkuk
5
Salahaddin
2
TOTAL
17

Casualties In Iraq By Province
Province
Jun 1-7
Anbar
4 (4K)
Diyala
10 (5K, 5W)
Irbil
4 (2K, 2W)
Kirkuk
14 (2K, 12W)
TOTAL
32 (13K, 19W)

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
38
18
8
9
1
5
17
-
-
Jun
4
-
-
-
-
1
-
-
-

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
15
10
1
7
1
4
10
-
-
Jun
-
2
-
-
-
-
3
-
-

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
9
-
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
21
6
9
5
-
2
2
-
-
Jun
-
-
-
-
-
-
1
-
-
           
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
May 22-28
30
9
21
May 29-31
7
3
12
MAY
196/2
125
180
Jun 1-7
17
13
19

Violence By Province Jun 1-7, 2020
Province
Violence
Anbar
4 Incidents
4 Killed
2 Civilians
2 Hashd

2 Shootings
1 IED
1 Mortar
Diyala
5 Incidents
5 Killed
2 Hashd
3 Civilians
5 Wounded
2 Civilians
3 ISF

4 Shootings
Irbil
1 Incident
2 Killed
2 ISF
2 Wounded
2 ISF

1 IED
Kirkuk
5 Incidents
2 Killed
2 ISF
12 Wounded
12 ISF

2 IEDs
3 Fields Burned
Salahaddin
2 Incidents

1 Suicide Bomber Killed
1 Attempt To Burn Field

SOURCES

Aldroubi, Mina, "Iraq launches military operation in the north to combat remaining ISIS militants," The National, 6/2/20

Bas News, "Iraq Moves Army against IS Militants Hiding in Remote Areas of Tuz Khurmatu," 6/3/20
- "IS Abducts Kurdish Farmer in Khanaqin," 6/1/20
- "IS Kills Four Kurdish Farmers in Khanaqin," 6/4/20
- "Kirkuk: IS Burns Wheat Farms in Three Villages," 6/1/20
- "Roadside Blast Hits Iraqi Convoy in Makhmour," 6/1/20

Iraq Newspaper, "ISIS terrorists kills two members of the tribal crowd, a day after Ibn Anad visited Anbar," 6/5/20
- "The ISIS terrorists released kidnapped in Jalawla after execution of two others," 6/6/20

Al Maalomah, "Five mortar shells landed in Anbar," 6/1/20
- "An ISIS attack east of Fallujah was thwarted," 6/4/20
- "Killing and wounding 3 civilians, with a terrorist attack in Diyala," 6/3/20
- "Three ISIS militants were killed, and two shepherds died in armed clashes in western Anbar," 6/4/20

NINA, "3 ISIS Hideouts Destroyed, 5 IEDs Dismantled As Part Of Military Operation In The Waqf Basin In Diyala," 6/2/20
- "/3/ of police employees were injured in an armed attack in Diyala," 6/7/20
- "The army and popular crowd carry out an inspection operation in the Ramadi desert," 6/6/20- "The joint forces implement a security operation in Khanaqin, in Diyala," 6/3/20
- "An Attempt To Infiltrate ISIS In Naft Khana Basin In Diyala Thwarted," 6/1/20
- "Salah al-Din Operations Commander: The Joint forces enforce the blockade against ISIS in Hamrin," 6/2/20

NRT, "Two Iraqi Soldiers Killed, Two Injured In A Bomb Explosion In Kirkuk," 6/3/20

Shafaaq News, "10 security personnel were injured in a bombing in Kirkuk," 6/3/20
- "The crowd kills an ISIS and wounded another, frustrating an ISIS operation north of Salahaddin," 6/5/20
- "Suicide bomber killed and ISIS leader arrested in Salahaddin and Ninewa," 6/5/20


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