Islamic State Active Again In Central Iraq

  

The Islamic State is not dead yet in Iraq. Recently there were two incidents. Overall the group has not been doing much this year but they appear to be more serious than 2025.

Review Arbella Bet-Shlimon, City of Black Gold, Oil, Ethnicity, and the making of Modern Kirkuk, Stanford University Press, 2019

  

Arbella Bet-Shlimon can be considered one of the new Iraq researchers who attempted to break free of the conventional wisdom that shaped much of the discourse about the country after 2003. Her City of Black Gold, Oil, Ethnicity, and the making of Modern Kirkuk takes a look at the political and economic development of the city from Ottoman times to the present. Rather than seeing the city as always being divided by competing ethnicities the book creates a history where Kirkuk was shaped by Turkey, England, Iraq, oil and where ethnicity changed over time.

Islamic State Shows Some Activity In Iraq In Sep 2025

 

The Islamic State showed a little bit of life in Iraq in September 2025. After just 1 incident in August there were 3 in September. One was an old explosive and another was a bomb going off which meant there were only 2 actual attacks during the month. That is about all the insurgency is capable of as it has collapsed.

Pro-Iran Groups Escalate Attacks Upon Kurds In July 2025

 

Iraq’s pro-Iran Resistance escalated its campaign against the Kurds in July with two dozen incidents. The Islamic State also made a rare appearance during the month.

Security In Iraq Jul 15-21, 2025

 

Pro-Iranian groups continued attacks upon Kurdish targets during the third week of July. There were three straight days of drone strikes in the country.

Iraq's Pro-Iran Factions Making Show Of Force At Start Of July

After not participating in the Iran-Israel War pro-Tehran factions in Iraq have started targeting the Kurds in July. At the start of the month there was also a rare incident by the Islamic State.

Security In Iraq Feb 8-14, 2025

The Islamic State returned to Iraq during the second week of February. This was the first time the group had been active in the country for three months.

Dec Sees Insurgent Violence In Iraq But No Actual Attacks By The Islamic State

There were several violent incidents in Iraq involving the Islamic State during December but none of them were actual attacks by the organization.

Iraq’s Islamic Resistance Carries Out 65 Attacks On Israel In October

October saw nearly daily attacks upon Israel by Iraq’s Islamic Resistance. Not only that but there were usually multiple attacks per day. The result was a massive increase in strikes against Israel. On the other hand the Islamic State was barely active during the month.

Security In Iraq Oct 15-21, 2024

The Islamic State was inactive for another week in Iraq while the Iraqi Islamic Resistance made sporadic attacks upon Israel.

Security In Iraq Oct 1-7, 2024

Both the Islamic State and the Iraqi Islamic Resistance were active in Iraq during the first week of October.

Iraq’s Islamic Resistance Records New High In Attacks Upon Israel In Sep 2024

September’s security news was dominated by attacks by the Iraqi Islamic Resistance. The Islamic State was also active during the month but still at a low level.

Security In Iraq Sep 8-14, 2024

There were 3 security incidents in Iraq again during the second week of September, the same number as the week before.

Last 2 Iraqi Provinces Name Governors 8 Months After Elections

Taha of the PUK was recently elected governor of Kirkuk but that may be overturned

Iraq held provincial elections in December 2023 but it wasn’t until August that the last two local governments were named and one might still be up in the air.

Security In Iraq July 8-14, 2024

During the second week of July the Islamic State returned to Iraq. Pro-Iran groups on the other hand launched no attacks upon Israel for the first time in months.

Islamic State And Pro-Iran Groups Pick Up Operations In Iraq In May 2024

May saw a relatively high level of activity by the Islamic State and the Islamic Resistance In Iraq.

Security In Iraq May 15-21, 2024

The Islamic State and the Iraqi Islamic Resistance were both active in Iraq during the third week of May.

Security In Iraq May 15-21, 2024

The Islamic State and the Iraqi Islamic Resistance were both active in Iraq during the third week of May.

Islamic State Makes Brief Return To Iraq In March While Pro-Iran Groups Continue Ceasefire With US

After almost disappearing from Iraq in February the Islamic State let everyone know it was still present in the country. Pro-Iran groups maintained a ceasefire with the U.S. while claiming a number of attacks upon Israel.

Security In Iraq Mar 15-21, 2024

The second week of March saw the largest uptick in Islamic State violence in Iraq in a year. The next week things went back to normal with the insurgency barely active. Pro-Iran groups also remain silent with a continuing ceasefire.