More Reports Of Insurgent In-Fighting In Iraq

 

April and May 2014 have brought forth more reports of fighting between insurgent groups in Iraq. The main armed factions involved are the Islamist Ansar al-Sunna and the Baathist Naqshibandi against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS). According to the press these clashes have taken place in Diyala and Kirkuk where there have been similar incidents over the last year. The main points of dispute appear to be over ideology, tactics, and the attempt by ISIS to dominate other armed factions.

Kirkuk province has seen armed clashes between Ansar al-Sunna and ISIS in recent weeks. April 6 it was reported that 2 Islamic State leaders were killed in a half hour gun battle with Ansar in southern Kirkuk near the Hamrin Mountains. One of the dead was the Wali of Kirkuk Abu Bakr. April 18 an ISIS commander was killed in another gun fight in Rashad, which was again in the southern section of the governorate. Finally May 5 the Iraqi press had a story that Ansar al-Sunna attacked the home of another ISIS leader in Husseiniya in western Kirkuk. The report went on to say that these battles were driving the Islamic State to the Hamrin Mountains in the south and the Zab area in the west, both historic insurgent bases in the area.

A similar set of clashes took place in Diyala but involved Ansar and the Baathist Naqshibandi. April 7 ISIS killed a Naqshibandi leader and his son in the northwestern section of the province. This came after ISIS kidnapped some Naqshibandi fighters in the Qara Tapa area. May 2 an intelligence source told Alsumaria that the Naqshibandi had authorized the killing of ISIS members in retaliation for killing six of its commanders. This was later denied in a Naqshibandi statement two days later. May 3 Al Rayy quoted another intelligence agent who claimed that Ansar al-Sunna had declared war on ISIS in the governorate. The later two stories are problematic because they relied upon unknown intelligence members who might have spread the stories to undermine the militants. At the same time, there have been other reports of growing tensions between these groups, which makes these statements believable.

There are many causes of this fighting and they have happened before. First, there are ideological differences. Ansar al-Sunna and the Islamic State are both Islamist groups that want to create a new caliphate. Ansar is closer to Al Qaeda however, while ISIS has established its independence, thus making them rivals within the jihadi movement. The Naqshibandi on the other hand is Sufi, but is based upon the old Baath Party, meaning that it has no place in a new Islamic order ISIS wants to create. Second, they are conflicts over territory. The Hamrin Mountains for example have been a base for militant groups for almost a decade. Now that the insurgency has been reborn these groups are expanding, which has led to turf wars. Third, there have been arguments over tactics. ISI for example has kidnapped and killed members of local tribes and the Sahwa, which other insurgent factions believe will turn those groups against them. More importantly, ISIS has a history of trying to dominate other groups. It sees itself as a vanguard, and demands that others follow its lead. Those that don’t are eventually attacked. There have been reports of ISIS killing members of Ansar al-Sunna and Naqshibandi for the last several months. It has fought with Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria, and its predecessor Al Qaeda in Iraq once battled most of the other insurgent groups and Sunni tribes in Iraq at one time or another, which led to the Awakening and Sahwa being formed. These differences will not be resolved any time soon meaning that further stories of in fighting will appear in the future.

SOURCES

Alsumaria, “Intelligence source in Diyala: Naqshibandi allow the killing of leaders and members of Daash and describe them as apostates,” 5/2/14

Buratha News, “The killing of a leader in the terrorist organization “Naqshibandi” and his son at the hands of the elements of “Daash” terrorists northeast of Baquba,” 4/7/14

Al Mada, “The killing of a senior commander in “Daash” in clash with supporters of Ansar al-Sunna south of Kirkuk,” 4/18/14

National Iraqi News Agency, “Armed clashes between al-Qaeda and Ansar al-Sunna in Kirkuk,” 5/5/14

- “Two leaders of the ISIS killed in a clash between Al-Qaeda and Ansar al-Sunna south of Kirkuk,” 4/6/14

New Sabah, “Council Diyala: sharp differences between armed groups,” 5/5/14

Al Rayy, “Diyala source: Ansar al-Sunna declares war against Daash and is considered a tool to distort Islam,” 5/3/14

Al-Tamimi, Aymenn Jawad, “Key Updates on Iraq’s Sunni Insurgent Groups,” Brown Moses, 5/11/14

RADIO FREE IRAQ VIDEO: Vote Counting In Kirkuk & Basra

Iraq Holds Special Voting Despite Terrorist Attacks

 

Iraq held its special voting on April 28, 2014. The early balloting is mostly for the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF). The Iraqi Election Commission said there was over 90% participation. That was despite a wave of attacks by the insurgency. That showed that the militants were not able to disrupt the voting despite their best efforts.

The ISF, prisoners, and those in hospitals came out in high numbers on April 28 to cast their ballots. The Iraqi Election Commission claimed there was a 91% turnout in the special voting. In Anbar only 40% participated. The on going fighting there and difficult security situation were the likely causes of the low percentage. There are 9,039 candidates representing 277 parties competing for 328 seats this year. The general public will vote on April 30. There are questions about the political loyalties of the ISF. Political parties have accused Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of attempting to sway their votes towards his State of Law party. In Kurdistan there is no such uncertainty as the peshmerga, Asayesh and others work for the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan despite talk of them being integrated into a regional force.

Peshmerga voting in Irbil (AFP)

Female Peshmerga showing their died fingers after voting in Irbil (AFP)

Voting in Ramadi where there is on-going fighting (AFP)

SWAT voting in Najaf (AP)

More died fingers in Karbala (AFP)

Police lining up in Baghdad to vote (AFP)

Voting took place despite a wave of terrorist attacks by the insurgency. From April 22-28 the Iraqi press and international news agencies reported 226 security incidents, 347 deaths, and 744 wounded. That was much like the week before when there were 252 attacks, 406 killed, and 786 injured. On the special voting day alone there were 25 attacks, 86 fatalities, and 157 wounded. That was below the 33.9 attacks per day average for the month so far. Militants have been going after voting centers and candidates in the last several weeks. April 22 there were four attacks including one on a candidate’s house in Khalidiya, Anbar, a school, which was being used as a voting center in Niamiya, Anbar, on another voting center to the south of Kirkuk, and an IED on a rally for Ahmed Chalabi in Mahmudiya, Babil. April 23 saw an IED on an election center in Hit, Anbar, an IED on a candidate’s house in Sulaiman Bek, Salahaddin, and shooting at a campaign car in Tikrit, Salahaddin. April 24 had a mortar on a school in Ramadi, Anbar, IEDs on voting centers in Hit, Tel Zatar, and Mohammadi, Anbar, and one in Baquba, Diyala. April 25 a member of the Election Commission was shot at in Rutba, Anbar and another was bombed in Sadiya, Diyala. Voting centers were attacked in Wasti, Kirkuk and Hit. The deadliest event however was the multiple bombings of a rally by the League of the Righteous in eastern Baghdad that left at least 160 casualties. April 26 polling centers in Qaim, Anbar, southeast of Mosul, Kirkuk, and three in Baiji and four in Siniya, Salahaddin were all attacked. April 27 a candidate was hit by an IED in Qaim, and voting centers in Siniya, and two in Kirkuk were targeted again. Finally, on April 28 suicide bombers hit polling stations in Ramadi, Tuz Khormato, Salahaddin, Adhamiya, Baghdad, Wasti and Hawija, Kirkuk, and four in Mosul, Ninewa, while there were shots fired at ones in Wasti and Kirkuk, an IED on one in Mosul, and a mortar barrage on another in Ramadi. Vehicle traffic is usually banned during the balloting, which makes car bombings extremely difficult, and accounts for the high number of suicide bombers on April 28. That didn’t seem to deter many, especially since all the violence was concentrated in just seven of Iraq’s eighteen provinces. The real test will be April 30 when the general public comes out, because that will provide far more targets.

There has always been violence on election days. April 28 was no different. The insurgents were held below their average for the year however, which is positive. More importantly the vast majority of the security forces and others eligible for early voting participated. The general election will not be as high as it usually averages around 50%. This year it might be lower as many Sunnis have lost confidence in politics, and might be intimidated by the militant groups that have launched their own campaign against voting. Whatever the final percentage is this is an important election as it is a competitive one, and thus another important event in the development of Iraq’s democracy.

SOURCES

Agence France Presse, “Five key questions on Iraq’s election,” 4/27/14

AIN, “40% of security elements participate in special voting in Anbar,” 4/28/14

- "Candidate of Motahidoun Alliance survives assassination attempt western Anbar," 4/27/14

- "Electoral center shelled eastern Ramadi," 4/28/14

- "Gunmen attack cars carrying leaflets for Mutleg's electoral propaganda," 4/23/14

- “IHEC: Participation rate of security elements all over Iraq, 91%,” 4/28/14

- "Mortar shells target primary school western Ramadi," 4/24/14

Aswat al-Iraq, "10 persons killed, 6+ wounded south of Kirkuk," 4/22/14

Buratha News, "The bombing of an elementary school south of Fallujah," 4/22/14

- "Bombing of the home of a candidate for election east of Ramadi," 4/22/14

- "The death of 3 elements of the security forces in bombing of polling station west of Ramadi," 4/24/14

- "Martyrdom and wounding 12, in an explosion targeting a rally for the candidates of the Citizen's Alliance Dr Ahmed Chalabi in Mahmudiya," 4/22/14

- "Soldier was wounded after a suicide bomber targeted polling station in Mosul," 4/28/14

- "Unidentified blow up a house of a candidate for Allawi's coalition in Sulaiman Bek," 4/23/14

Al Forat, "Salah-il-Din: Armed attack against polling station injures soldier & policeman," 4/27/14

- "Tuz's suicide bombing death toll hits 17 deaths, injuries," 4/28/14

Al Mada, "104 killed and wounded in the final outcome of suicide bombings that targeted a rally in eastern Baghdad," 4/25/14

- "Killing a child and wounding a captain in two separate attacks on polling stations in Kirkuk," 4/27/14

- "Killing and wounding 88 people in a suicide bombing at a gathering to celebrate healing of Talabani in northern Diyala," 4/28/14

- "Unidentified blow up polling station in western Baquba," 4/24/14

Al Masalah, "3 civilians killed bombing campaign in rally in Hit," 4/23/14

- "40 dead and 120 injured .. Toll rises bombings of gather League of the Righteous," 4/25/14

NINA, "A civilian killed, two injured, a gunman killed and two others arrested in two incidents in Kirkuk," 4/28/14

-"Director of the Office of the Electoral Commission in Ratba, in Anbar escapes an assassination attempt," 4/25/14

- "Five soldiers wounded by a roadside bomb exploded near a polling station in eastern Mosul," 4/28/14

- "gunmen attack a polling station, injuring a soldier in Kirkuk," 4/27/14

- "The number of victims of the suicide attacks in Mansour and Adhamiya up to 53 killed and wounded," 4/28/14 - "One civilian killed, another one wounded, northeast of Baquba," 4/25/14

- "Polling station blown up in Anbar province," 4/24/14

- "A polling station for private voting blown up in western Anbar," 4/26/14

- "Six policemen killed, nine injured in a suicide bombing in Kirkuk," 4/28/14

- "A soldier killed,an officer and a soldier wounded in central Mosul," 4/28/14

- "A soldier killed while preventing a suicide bomber from entering a polling station in Kirkuk," 4/28/14

- "Three policemen killed, two others wounded by blowing up polling stations in Baiji," 4/26/14

- "Three suicide bombers killed in Ramadi," 4/28/14

- "Two soldiers, a civilian injured in attack on a polling station north of Kirkuk," 4/26/14

- "Urgent…Security forces kill a suicide bomber dressed as security uniform," 4/28/14

- "Urgent…Suicide bomber blows himself up near polling station in Mosul," 4/28/14

Radio Nawa, "Gunmen open fire on a polling station south of Kirkuk," 4/25/14

Al Rayy, "Electoral center bombed west of Ramadi," 4/24/14

- "Targeting polling station west of Anbar," 4/25/14

Salah, Hemin, “Iraqi commanders bribe soldiers to vote for State of Law and Coalition,” Bas News, 4/22/14

Salman, Duraid, Ammar, Tarek, "Soldier wounded by a sniper targeting polling stations south of Kirkuk," Alsumaria, 4/28/14

Tariq, Amar, "Wounding two policemen and eight civilians by a roadside bomb targeting polling station in Nineveh," Alsumaria, 4/26/14

Xinhua, "33 killed, 90 wounded at election rally in Iraq," 4/26/14

Security In Iraq 2 Weeks Before National Elections

 

Iraq is set to have parliamentary elections on April 30. Besides the bitter political disputes the country is facing other challenges including securing the vote, and getting people to participate. The insurgents have ramped up their attacks and are actively campaigning against people casting their ballots. During previous elections there was always some violence, but this year may be different. The Americans are not present to help, and the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) is stretched thin because of its commitments in Anbar. That might mean wide spread attacks during the voting, and more importantly, there may be low turnout in provinces like Anbar, Salahaddin, and parts of Ninewa, Diyala, and Babil.

There has been an increase in the number of attacks since the beginning of April. In the first week of the month there were 238 reported attacks, followed by 223 the next. That was a return to the levels seen in February and the first week of March when there were 204 from February 1-7, 226 the next week, followed by 264 the 3^rd week, 251 the fourth, 253 from March 1-7, before dipping to 206 the 2^nd week of the month, 216 the next, 211 the third week, and 108 from March 28-31. Still, the average number of attacks for each month has been consistent since the beginning of the year. There were 32.6 per day in January, 33.7 in February, 32.0 in March, and 32.9 from April 1-14. The number of casualties was creeping upwards until April. There were a total of 1,379 in January, for an average of 44.4 per day, 1,275 in February, 45.5 per day, 1,607 in March, 51.8 per day, and 621 in the first two weeks of April, 44.3. The number of wounded followed the same pattern. There were 2,634 injured in January, 84.9 per day, 2,526 in February, 90.2 per day, 2,901 in March, 93.5, and 1,196 in the beginning of April, 85.4.

Violence In Iraq 2014

Date	Security Incidents	Deaths	Wounded
Jan 1-7	245	363	736
Jan 8-14	267	372	683
Jan 15-21	202	358	597
Jan 22-28	240	308	624
Jan 29-31	58	93	227
JAN	1,012	1,379	2,634
Feb 1-7	204	296	700
Feb 8-14	226	258	505
Feb 15-21	264	347	703
Feb 22-28	251	374	618
FEB	945	1,275	2,526
Mar 1-7	253	412	702
Mar 8-14	206	324	607
Mar 15-21	216	423	736
Mar 22-27	211	279	580
Mar 28-31	108	169	270
MAR	994	1,607	2,901
Apr 1-7	238	259	550
Apr 8-14	223	362	646
TOTAL	3,414	4,882	9,257
Avg.	32.8	46.9	89.0

 

ISIS has recently carried out three large parades in Anbar and Baghdad provinces like this one in Fallujah (Institute for the Study of War)

Almost all of the violence is concentrated in central Iraq. The fighting in Anbar means that most of its major cities and towns will be off limits to the Election Commission. On April 13 it announced that it was only able to distribute 312,000 voting cards out of an estimated 900,000 registered voters. Baghdad has seen the majority of bombings. For example, there were 12 car bombs and 2 suicide bombers from April 8-14, 1 car bomb April 1-7, 2 from March 28-31, 6 from March 22-27, 9 from March 15-21, 5 from March 8-14, and 10 from March 1-7. These are the deadliest form of attack. April 9 there were eight in Kadhimiya, Jadriya, Shaab, Karrada, Mamil, Meshahda, and two in Sadr City costing 16 lives and 69 wounded. ISIS is also moving towards the capital city as seen by its recent parade in Abu Ghraib to the west. In Mosul, Ninewa and the surrounding areas the insurgency acts as a mafia extorting money from businesses, and can be said to have more influence than the local government. The situation is so bad there that the Ninewa Operations Command had to set up special flights for security personnel to travel from their homes in Baghdad to their jobs in Mosul due to constant attacks. There are also concerns that voter roles have not been updated because of intimidation of local officials. In Salahaddin militants are operating throughout all districts of the province. In April there were attacks in seven of the governorate’s eight districts. Starting in the north there were 9 in Shirqat, 12 in Baiji, 32 in Tikrit, 14 in Samarra, 4 in Balad, 2 in Tuz Khormato, 3 in Taji from April 1-14. ISIS was also bold enough to hold a parade there on the road from Baiji to Haditha, Anbar on April 13. Salahaddin is one of the deadliest places in the country, sometimes having more casualties than Baghdad. Babil, Diyala and Kirkuk are on the low end of the spectrum with around one incident per day in each, but the numbers only tell half the story. Northern Babil has become a base for ISIS. It has reportedly been moving in forces from Anbar into that province around Jurf al-Sakhr and Musayib. Earlier in the year the ISF tried and failed to clear the area, and since then the Islamists have been carrying out retaliatory attacks and some car bombings as well. This has led to protests against the lack of security and displacement of families. ISIS has also threatened regions of Kirkuk such as Qara Tapa leading some people to flee the area in March. That same month, ISIS took over the town of Buhriz in Diyala. After it left there were reports of a massacre of civilians by militias. ISIS has also launched a campaign in Kirkuk, Diyala, Ninewa, and Baghdad to convince people not to vote. They have passed out flyers and tweeted pictures of their activities. ISIS has always rejected democracy as un-Islamic, and many other insurgent groups are opposed to balloting as well. The government has launched repeated security operations in all of these provinces, but to little affect. Despite the number of insurgents killed and captured and the material that is discovered, the ISF tends to conduct raids and then leaves, which allows militants to move right back in. Its tactics of mass arrests and holding families of those wanted hostage are counterproductive, and turn the populace away from the government. Its forces are also stretched thin across the country with many units having been transferred to fight in Anbar. This has strong parallels to the 2004-2005 period when the U.S. lacked a plan to beat the insurgency, and the first elections since the invasion were held. The Americans played a large role in helping the Iraqi forces secure the country for the balloting, but they are not there anymore to provide that type of support.

Insurgents are active throughout all of Salahaddin’s districts (Wikipedia)

These events raise two questions. One will the police and army be able to protect voters on election day? Last year provincial balloting was held with only minor incidents, but that was a different environment than today where a full fledged insurgency has broken out. With militants operating throughout central Iraq, and able to reach into the south with bombings it is an open question whether the curfews, bans on vehicle traffic, and other added security measures, which are the norm on the day of voting will be enough. More importantly, Sunnis have generally lost faith in the political process, which is a major reason why the insurgency has been able to make come back. Some give militants either open or passive support and have little reason to help the security forces due to its abusive tactics and group punishments. In January 2005 there was a general Sunni boycott of elections. Many later thought that was a mistake and came out in larger numbers in the following rounds of balloting in 2005, 2009, and 2010. Now there is little motivation to do so, and turnout in some areas might be very low as a result. That means this year’s balloting may not only be a deadly one, but lead to a government that is seen as illegitimate by some voters.

SOURCES

Abbas, Mushreq, “ISIS expands in areas around Baghdad,” Al Monitor, 4/4/14

Abdul-Zahra, Qassim, "Car Bombs in Baghdad, Iraqi Town Kill 34 People," Associated Press, 4/9/14

AIN, "Casualties of northern Baghdad bombing reach 11 deaths, injuries," 4/9/14

- “Commission announces the distribution of 312 thousand cards in the safe areas of Anbar,” 4/13/14

- "Kadhimiya bombing results in killing, injuring 15 civilians," 4/9/14

- “ISIL elements launched huge parade in Salah-il-Din,” 4/13/14

Al Forat, "6 Persons killed, wounded northern Baghdad," 4/9/14

- “Dozens of citizens demonstrate in Babel due to deterioration of security situation,” 3/29/14

- "Shamma'iya's bombing Death toll hits 27 deaths, injuries," 4/9/14

Hussein, Taha, “Hundreds flee their homes after ISIS threatens Kurdish town,” Bas News, 3/29/14

Jubouri, Adam, “Bahrez occupation reveals the strained relationship between the parent and the local government and the size of the sensitivity of sectarianism,” 3/25/14

- "Killing and injuring 18 people in two bombings in Baghdad," 4/9/14

- "Killing and wounding six people in detonation of the seventh car bomb in central Baghdad," 4/9/14

- “Paralysis in Nineveh and university circles after militant assassinations of staff,” 12/5/13

Al Rafidayn, “Maliki’s office agrees to conduct flights to transport security personnel in Mosul,” 3/25/14

Al Rayy, “A security source: Daash controlled area in Jurf al-Sakhr and 25 families abandon area,” 4/5/14

Musings On Iraq Security Report Mar 15-21, 2014

 

After a slight dip in operations the Iraqi insurgency came back with a vengeance in the third week of March 2014. While the total number of attacks was within the range of previous weeks of 2014, the casualties were the highest of the year so far. This was largely the result of a large number of car bombings by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), which are used in mass casualty attacks.

The number of reported attacks in the third week of March was only a few more than the previous week but the resulting deaths and wounded were the highest of the year. The press recorded 217 security incidents from March 15 to 21. That was up from 206 from March 8 to 14, and down from 253 seen in March 1 to 7. The insurgency has been averaging over 200 attacks per week in 2014, so this was well within the annual range. However for the week there was 423 fatalities and 738 wounded, both the highest marks so far, surpassing 412 deaths seen in the first week of March, and 736 injured in the first week of January.

Date	Security Incidents	Killed	Wounded
Jan 1-7	245	363	736
Jan 8-14	267	372	683
Jan 15-21	202	358	597
Jan 22-28	240	308	624
Jan 29-31	58	93	227
JAN TOTAL	1,012	1,379	2,634
Feb 1-7	204	296	700
Feb 8-14	226	258	505
Feb 15-21	264	347	703
Feb 22-28	251	374	618
FEB TOTAL	945	1,275	2,526
Mar 1-7	253	412	702
Mar 8-14	206	324	607
Mar 15-21	217	423	738
MAR TOTAL	676	1,159	2,047

 

The main reason why casualties were up was due to 29 car bombings in the third week of March. March 15 saw six of them used in Baghdad’s Amin, Hurriya, Shula, Sadr City, Qahira, and Amil costing 33 lives and wounding another 95. There were three more on March 18 in Dora, Mahmudiya and Ghaziliya leaving 7 dead and 23 injured. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) launches these types of attacks in waves across the capital. This was just the tale end of the latest one that started on March 13. There were also 4 car bombings in Anbar, 3 in Babil, 2 in Diyala, 4 in Ninewa, 5 in Salahaddin, and 2 in Kirkuk that cost the lives of 57 people and wounded another 148. Just as important, on March 18 there were coordinated vehicle delivered explosives in Karbala and two locations in Wasit. On February 3 there was a car bombing in Wasit, and another on March 6, but before that there had not been any since November 2013. That marked the end of an eleven month campaign by ISIS to attack the south each month. After that the group appeared to be focusing upon other areas such as Anbar and Salahaddin, but now it has marked its return to the south once again showing that it is the only insurgent group with the network and personnel that can carry out attacks in every part of the country.

Province	Attacks	Dead	Wounded
Anbar	42	88	168
Babil	13	24	43
Baghdad	52	106	269
Basra	2	2	0
Diyala	18	29	24
Karbala	1	4	15
Kirkuk	10	5	38
Maysan	1	1	0
Ninewa	43	42	34
Salahaddin	33	115	134
Wasit	2	7	13

 

Salahaddin again led the nation in casualties during the week. There were 33 reported security incidents leading to 115 killed and 134 wounded. That was the second most fatalities in one week for the year and tied for the most injured. Attacks were spread out across the province with 7 in Shirqat, 6 in Tikrit, 5 in Samarra, 4 in Tuz Kharmato, and 3 each in Baiji and Ishaqi, along with several other towns. The worst day was March 21, which was topped off by a car bombing and then an IED in Tuz Kharmato that killed 8 and wounded 21, an attack upon a police station outside of Samarra that resulted in the deaths of 8 police and wounding another 13, and an attempt to storm the town of Sarha with a suicide truck bomb that left 27 fatalities. Usually Baghdad receives the most casualties but Salahaddin has become more violent in recent weeks since the fighting in Anbar started. The province is the home to several insurgent groups including Ansar al-Sunna, Jaish Rijal al-Tariqat al-Naqshibandi, and the Islamic State.

Baghdad had the most attacks for the week. There were 52 total with 106 killed and 269 wounded. Along with the 9 car bombs that struck the governorate there were also 21 improvised explosive devices (IEDs), 9 sticky bombs and one suicide bombing. Abu Ghraib has become a base for ISIS and saw 7 attacks followed by 4 in Sadr City, 3 in Dora, 3 in Madain, and 3 in Tarmiya along with various other neighborhoods.

Fighting in Anbar continued as well. There were 42 incidents there with 88 killed and 168 wounded. Ramadi again saw the most violence with 18 violent acts. Clashes with insurgents continued in the same neighborhoods such as Malab and 60th Street, which have been contested since the city was taken over at the end of December 2013. Indiscriminate government shelling resulted in the deaths of 36 and 108 injured in Fallujah.

In Ninewa attacks by insurgents have remained relatively stable. There were 43 reported attacks with 34 of them being in Mosul. That led to 42 killed and 34 wounded. Most violence was targeted consisting of IEDs and shootings.

Babil, Diyala, and Kirkuk were at the same levels as previous weeks. The security forces recently attempted to storm Jurf al-Sakhr in northern Babil, but were repulsed by ISIS. It has been carrying out retaliatory attacks since then. There were a total of 13 incidents there with 24 killed and 43 wounded. In Diyala there were 18 attacks, 29 killed, and 24 wounded. Most of those were shootings aimed at the security forces. The governorate was far more violent in 2013, but it appears that militants have shifted resources to other areas this year. In Kirkuk there were only 10 incidents leading to just 5 deaths and 38 wounded. That province is another area that has seen a large reduction in insurgent activity since this year started.

SOURCES

Agence France Presse, "27 killed across Iraq as militants seize village," 3/21/14

- "Iraq officials say bombings kill 12 people," 3/18/14

AIN, "Car bomb goes off in Haditha," 3/15/14

- "Urgent…8 IP Elements killed, wounded southern Mosul," 3/16/14

- "Urgent…20 Persons Killed, wounded in Tikrit," 3/15/14

Buratha News, "Martyrdom and wounding 29 people in a car bombing in Tuz," 3/21/14

Al Forat, "4 policemen killed, 3 others injured in Baiji car bombing," 3/18/14

- "Diyala: Death toll of attack targeted IFP Commander hits 11 deaths, 18 injuries," 3/21/14

Iraq Times, "martyrs and wounded by a car bomb north of Kut," 3/18/14

- "martyrs and wounded in two car bombs targeting 30 families celebrating Nowruz festival in Kirkuk," 3/21/14

Al Jazeera, "Baghdad rocked by deadly car bombings," 3/15/14

Al-Khafaji, Osama, "Armed attacks in Samarra, ending the killing and wounding of 21 police officers," Alsumaria, 3/21/14

Al Mada, "Army announces the restoration of Sarha of insurgents," 3/22/14

- "Killed five people and wounded by a car bomb north east of Mosul," 3/20/14

- "Killing and wounding 12 people in a car bomb targeting a checkpoint south of the capital," 3/18/14

- "Person injured by a roadside bomb near a primary school north of Kut," 3/6/14

Al Masalah, "Killing 7 and injuring 10 roadside bombs north of Wasit," 3/18/14

- "Killing 20 civilians and wounding 67 with a series of explosions that rocked Baghdad," 3/15/14

- "Killing three soldiers and wounding 5 in suicide bombing that targeted a checkpoint in Ramadi," 3/16/14

NINA, "/3/ Civilians Injured by a Car Bomb North of Wasit," 2/3/14

- "/3/ civilians killed and 11 others wounded in Fallujah," 3/21/14

- "13 Civilians Killed and Wounded in a Car Bomb in al-Ameen Area South of Baghdad," 3/15/14

- "16/civilians wounded south of Kirkuk, and clashes near Hamrin Mountains," 3/21/14

- "BREAKING NEWS. 17 people killed and wounded in a roadside car bomb explosion north of Karbala," 3/18/14

- "Breaking news..A car bomb, an explosive device exploded alternately in central Tikrit," 3/21/14

- "Breaking News..Victims of the bombing of Fallujah rose to 56 killed and wounded, mostly women and children," 3/19/14

- "A Child, a Woman Killed, Five Members of one Family Wounded by Artillery Shell on Fallujah," 3/17/14

- "A Civilian Killed, Four Others Wounded, Including Two Children by Artillery Shelling on Fallujah," 3/18/14

- "Four civilians wounded in a bombing to Amir Dulaim host," 3/17/14

- "Two people injured, north east of Baquba," 3/21/14

- "Two soldiers wounded west of Anbar province," 3/18/14

Radio Nawa, "Killing and wounding 58 people, armed clashes in Fallujah," 3/20/14

- "Wounding at least 12 civilians in a car bombing in downtown Tuz," 3/21/14

Al Rayy ,"The death of one soldier and wounding five others in a suicide bombing that targeted a gathering of the army in central Ramadi," 3/17/14

- "The death of two members of the Peshmerga north of Mosul," 3/20/14

- "Martyrdom and wounding 20 people in the proceeds of a bomb explosion in Sadr City," 3/15/14

Yacoub, Sameer, "Iraq Officials Say Bombings Kill 15 People," Associated Press, 3/18/14

- "Wave of Attacks Across iraq Kills 28 People," Associated Press, 3/21/14