Tuesday, February 7, 2023

Violence Drops In Iraq In January 2023



 

Violence dropped in Iraq from December 2022 to January 2023. The Islamic State has been quiet since a short summer offensive. However, there was a small uptick in activity by pro-Iran groups during the month.

 

There were a total of 29 security incidents reported in Iraq in January. In December there were 33, in November 23 and October 28.

 

Four of those incidents were by pro-Iran groups. In Baghdad they set off two IEDs against convoys working for the U.S. in the Yusifiya area in the south. They also fired rockets at the Khor Mor gas field in Sulaymaniya twice. In December these factions carried out 1 attack, none in November, 2 in October, 1 in September and 7 in August. The groups have been more interested in the new Sudani government than going after the Americans which accounts for the drop in attacks.

 

There were 25 incidents by the Islamic State in January. That compared to 32 in December, 23 in November, 23 in October, 37 in September and 49 in August. That last month was the peak of a small summer offensive. After that attacks dropped off.

 

January’s incidents took place in Babil (1), Baghdad (5), Diyala (7), Kirkuk (3), Ninewa (5), Salahaddin (3) and Sulaymaniya (1).

 

Those resulted in 12 dead and 15 wounded. 2 Hashd al-Shaabi, 4 civilians and 6 members of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) lost their lives while 2 Hashd, 6 civilians and 7 ISF were wounded. All 6 provinces where IS attacks took place saw casualties in single digits with Diyala having the most with 8 followed by 7 in Baghdad.

 

The insurgency remains focused upon protecting its areas. The first week of the month there were 7 incidents by the Islamic State with 1 being offensive when a Hashd unit was attacked in Ninewa. The second week there were 5 incidents 1 of which was offensive when a group of Hashd got into a gun battle with insurgents in Salahaddin.  The third week there were 10 incidents none of which were offensive. The last week of January there were 3 incidents with 1 being offensive when two police were shot in western Baghdad an area where IS has not been active in weeks. The last three days of month there was a bombing in Babil which was also offensive in nature. That was four offensive attacks out of 25. The other incidents were aimed at keeping the government out of IS regions and intimidating the population. The group’s main concern continues to be maintaining control in places like the Muqdadiya and Khanaqin districts in central and northeast Diyala, Hawija in southern Kirkuk, and Tarmiya in northern Baghdad. It barely operates outside of those areas. This marks the weakest period in the Iraqi insurgency since 2003. The Islamic State can continue at this rate for years though because it is in rural areas where there is little government presence even without the insurgents.

 

Security Incidents In Iraq By Province

Province

Jan 1-7

Jan 8-14

Jan 15-21

Jan 22-28

Jan 29-31

Totals

Babil

-

-

-

-

1

1

Baghdad

4

-

1 Pro-Iran

2/1 Pro-Iran

-

7/2 Pro-Iran

Diyala

2

3

3

-

-

7

Kirkuk

-

-

2

1

-

3

Ninewa

1

1

2

1

-

5

Salahaddin

-

1

2

-

-

3

Sulaymaniya

-

1 Pro-Iran

1

1 Pro-Iran

-

3/2 Pro-Iran

TOTAL

7

6/1 Pro-Iran

11/1 Pro-Iran

5/2 Pro-Iran

-

29/4 Pro-Iran

 

Casualties In Iraq By Province

Province

Jan 1-7

Jan 8-14

Jan 15-21

Jan 22-28

Jan 29-31

Totals

Babil

-

-

-

-

2 (2W)

2 (2W)

Baghdad

5 (3K, 2W)

-

-

2 (1K, 1W)

-

7 (4K, 3W)

Diyala

1 (1K)

3 (3K)

4 (4W)

-

-

8 (4K, 4W)

Kirkuk

-

-

2 (2K)

-

-

2 (2K)

Ninewa

-

-

3 (3W)

1 (1W)

-

4 (4W)

Salahaddin

-

4 (2K, 2W)

-

-

-

4 (2K, 2W)

TOTAL

6 (4K, 2W)

7 (5K, 2W)

9 (2 K, 7W)

3 (1K, 2W)

2 (2W)

27 (12K, 15W)

 

Security In Iraq 2022-23

Week

Security

Incidents

(Total/By IS)

Dead

(Total/By IS)

Wounded

(Total/By IS)

Jan 1-7

18/9

3

4

Jan 8-14

35/21

3

18

Jan 15-21

12/5

17

12

Jan 22-28

16/3

8

19

Jan 29-31

6/2

2

6

JAN

87/41

33

59

Feb 1-7

11/3

1

10

Feb 8-14

14/6

8

3

Feb 15-21

9/1

-

11

Feb 22-28

8/4

1

5

FEB

42/14

10

29

Mar 1-7

7/3

1

-

Mar 8-14

18/3/1

6

5

Mar 15-21

10/4

5

6

Mar 22-28

6/1

7

4

Mar 29-31

4/1

-

5

MAR

46/12/1

19

21

Apr 1-7

16/8

-

6

Apr 8-14

21/7

8

25

Apr 15-21

22/2

10

22

Apr 22-28

44/4

14

44

Apr 29-30

6/1

2

6

APR

111/22

34

103

May 1-7

31/3

8

25

May 8-14

9/2

2

7

May 15-21

18/6

10

6

May 22-28

13/1

21

11

May 29-31

2/1

-

2

MAY

73/13

41

51

Jun 1-7

6/2

-

8

Jun 8-14

12/4

1

9

Jun 15-21

10/2

5

2

Jun 22-28

12/6

1

14

Jun 29-30

-

-

-

JUN

40/14

7

33

Jul 1-7

7/1

6

11

Jul 8-14

3

-

2

Jul 15-21

11/2

14

16

Jul 22-28

18/7

9

21

Jul 29-31

4

4

4

JUL

43/6

33

54

Aug 1-7

9/1

6

15

Aug 8-14

14

2

14

Aug 15-21

7/2

-

6

Aug 22-28

23/4

14

15

Aug 29-31

4

2

4

AUG

57/7/1

24

54

Sep 1-7

11/1

3

20

Sep 8-14

5

-

12

Sep 15-21

12

4

14

Sep 22-28

10/2 M

2

16

Sep 29-30

3/1 M

-

2

SEP

41/1/3 M

9

64

Oct 1-7

9/2 M

6

16

Oct 8-14

8/2/1 M

5

19

Oct 15-21

6

4

7

Oct 22-28

3

2

1

Oct 29-31

2

-

2

OCT

28/2/3 M

17

45

Nov 1-7

7

1

3

Nov 8-14

6

1

8

Nov 15-21

8

7

17

Nov 22-28

2

1

-

Nov 29-30

-

-

-

NOV

23

10

28

Dec 1-7

13/1

6

11

Dec 8-14

6

7

8

Dec 15-21

6

29

15

Dec 22-28

6

-

4

Dec 29-31

2

-

-

DEC

33/1

42

38

Jan 1-7

7

4

2

Jan 8-14

6/1

5

2

Jan 15-21

11/1

2

7

Jan 22-28

5/2

1

2

Jan 29-31

1

-

2

JAN

29/4

12

15

 

Violence By Province Jan 2023

Province

Violence

2018 Avg

2019 Avg

2020 Avg

2021 Avg

2022 Avg

Anbar

-

12.6 incidents/

month

8.6 incidents/ month

7.0 incidents/ month

4.6 incidents/ month

2.0 incidents/month

Babil

1 Incident

2 Wounded

2 Civilians

 

1 IED

4.0 incidents/month

3.0 incidents/month

2.7 incidents/month

2.5 incidents/month

2.0 incidents/month

Baghdad

7/2 Pro-Iran Incidents

4 Killed

1 Civilian

3 ISF

3 Wounded

3 ISF

 

3 Shootings

4 IEDs

33.0 incidents/month

11.6 incidents/month

7.3 incidents/month

5.6 incidents/ month

3.5 incidents/month

Diyala

7 Incidents

4 Killed

1 ISF

3 Civilians

4 Wounded

4 ISF

 

4 Shootings

1 IED

1 Suicide Bomber killed

38.6 incidents/month

30.0 incidents/month

30.6 incidents/month

22.8 incidents/month

12.2 incidents/month

Kirkuk

3 Incidents

2 Killed

2 ISF

 

2 Shootings

1 Suicide Bomber Killed

36.5 incidents/month

18.6 incidents/month

13.9 incidents/month

11.6 incidents/month

8.2 incidents/month

Ninewa

5 Incidents

4 Wounded

4 Civilians

 

1 Shooting

5 IEDs

20.0 incidents/month

13.2 incidents/month

10.6 incidents/month

8.4 incidents/month

6.0 incidents/month

Salahaddin

3 Incidents

2 Killed

2 Hashd

2 Wounded

2 Hashd

 

1 Shooting

21.7 incidents/month

10.6 incidents/month

11.2 incidents/month

11.5 incidents/month

5.5 incidents/month

Sulaymaniya

3/2 Pro-Iran Incidents

 

2 Rockets

 

 

 

 

 

IRAQ

29/4 Pro-Iran Incidents

12 Killed

2 Hashd

4 Civilians

6 ISF

15 Wounded

2 Hashd

6 Civilians

7 ISF

 

11 Shootings

11 IEDs

2 Suicide Bombers Killed

2 Rockets

166.6 incidents/month

95.5 incidents/month

85.5 incidents/month

69.9 incidents/month

40.2 incidents/month

 

SOURCES

 

Al Masalah, "A missile attack targeted the Khor Mor gas field in Sulaymaiya," 1/13/23

 

NINA, "A convoy of logistical support for the international coalition forces targeted with an explosive device south of Baghdad," 1/26/23

- "The Popular Mobilization ends the "ISIS" attack east of Salah al-Din by defeating the terrorists," 1/9/23

- "The Popular Mobilization repels an attack by ISIS in Al-Hatra Island," 1/1/23

- "Two children were wounded when an explosive device exploded near a five-a-side stadium, north of Babylon," 1/30/23

- "Two rockets fell in gas field in Sulaymaniyah," 1/27/23

 

Shafaq News, "A logistical support convoy targeted the International Coalition south of Baghdad," 1/19/23

- "Two gunmen attack a police patrol and kill one of its members in Baghdad," 1/25/23

 

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