Security In Iraq, Jan 8-14, 2015

2015 ended with a decline in violence in Iraq, but that trend has not continued into the new year. The first two weeks of 2016 have been characterized by intense fighting across Iraq. The government’s forces were still clearing out Islamic State pockets from the Ramadi area with clashes in other parts of Anbar. IS hit Baghdad and Diyala with several car bombs. One set off a rampage by the Hashd al-Shaabi in Muqtadiya against local Sunnis. There was also a large number of insurgent attacks in Salahaddin, while IS’s winter offensive appeared to be puttering out in Ninewa.

There were 140 attacks in Iraq during the second week of January. That was slightly down from the previous week’s 150. Baghdad led the country with 53 incidents with 28 more in Salahaddin, 22 in Diyala, 14 in Anbar and Ninewa each, 5 in Babil, 2 in Kirkuk, and one each in Basra and Irbil. There are always more attacks then get reported in the press.

408 people were killed from January 8-14 with 417 injured. 3 Sahwa, 11 Peshmerga, 17 Hashd al-Shaabi, 120 members of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), and 257 civilians were killed, and 7 Sahwa, 26 Hashd, 53 ISF, and 331 civilians were wounded. Ninewa had the most fatalities with 214 due to a large number of IS executions. There were another 80 dead in Baghdad, 56 in Diyala, 38 in Salahaddin, 10 in Anbar, 9 in Babil, and 1 in Kirkuk. Casualties are heavily underreported due to government censorship.

Anbar dominated the headlines in Iraq with the operation in Ramadi. On January 9, 100% of central Ramadi was declared cleared. Several new areas of the city were reached including Malab, Marif College, the Security and Electricity Departments, and 40^th Street in the eastern section. New towns in the suburbs were attacked as well including Albu Alwan, Sufiya, Sajariya, Albu Aetha, Albu Ghanam, Sura, and Albu Soda. Many of those the security forces had already gone through before. Albu Alwan for example was declared cleared at the end of December and then again at the start of January, and then a third time on January 10. Government propaganda was also clouding the situation. Sufiya for example was said to be cleared on January 3, January 7, and January 10, only to have the security forces call on all the residents to leave the area on January 11 for another impending operation there. It didn’t appear that the Iraqi forces entered major parts of Sufiya until January 13. Similar circumstances surrounded Albu Aetha and Albu Ghanam that were called freed in August. The Anbar operations command would later state that they hadn’t even reached Albu Athea until October and the day after Albu Ghanam was called liberated it was announced that IS was still in half the town. Despite the obfuscations major parts of Ramadi and its surroundings are being freed.

IS main response to the fall of downtown Ramadi was to continue to carry out counter attacks throughout Anbar, especially with suicide and car bombs. This included incidents in Barwana in the Haditha district in the west, around Ramadi, and Thar Thar in the northwest. The press reported 15 suicide bombers were killed and 14 car bombs destroyed during this period.

The government was also active in Fallujah and Garma. In the former, the renewed offensive there has appeared to stall once again. The joint forces report insurgents being killed almost everyday south of the city, but no real advances have been reported. The same can be said about Garma.

IS had not been able to set off a successful car bomb in the capital province since the end of November, but three went off at the start of January. On January 11 one went off in a market in Naharawan, a town in the eastern section of the governorate killing 5 and wounding 12. More importantly, that same day IS launched an assault upon the Jawhara Mall in New Baghdad in the east. Two car bombs and three suicide bombers were used, and several hostages were taken with three of them killed before the siege was ended. 18 people were left dead and another 50 injured in the aftermath. It was these types of attacks that marked IS’s return in 2012-2013. It had not conducted any after it switched to being a more conventional force and concentrated on taking territory in 2014. Now IS is using these types of incidents to make up for the fact that it is mostly on the defensive throughout Iraq.

Security Incidents In Baghdad, Jan 8-14, 2016

Center: 5 – 1 Motorcycle Bomb dismantled, 1 Shooting/Robbery, 3 IEDs

East: 13 – 1 Kidnapping, 3 Sticky Bombs, 3 Car Bombs, 3 Suicide Bombers, 4 IEDs, 4 Shootings

North: 3 – 1 IED, 2 Shootings

Outer North: 4 – 1 Kidnapping, 3 IEDs

South: 14 – 1 Kidnapping, 1 Shooting/Robbery, 1 Sticky Bomb, 5 Shootings, 6 IEDs

Outer South: 5 – 1 Mortar, 1 Shooting, 3 IEDs

West: 7 – 1 Robbery, 1 Shooting/Robbery, 2 Shootings, 3 IEDs

Outer West: 2 – 1 Mortar, 1 Shooting

IS carried out a similar operation in Diyala, which led to an explosion of sectarian violence. January 11 an IED and a car bomb went off at a café in Muqtadiya that killed  46 and wounded 55 more, many of which were Hashd fighters. They in turn attacked the Sunni areas of the city destroying homes, shops, and seven mosques. The Hashd in what many perceived to have been a warning to the media to not cover the story also killed two reporters. That succeeded as there was an almost total blackout on the story in the Iraqi media at first. After the Hashd reprisals ended Prime Minister Haider Abadi went to Diyala to meet with the Tigris Operations Command and demanded that the perpetrators of the attacks be persecuted. Later Grand Ayatollah Sistani condemned the violence as well. Nothing is likely to happen as Badr’s Hadi Ameri runs the province, and his power was the likely reason that so few said anything about the incident.

IS was very active in the rest of Diyala as well. For months there had only been an average of 1 attack or less per day in the province. From January 8-14 there were 22 incidents. That included another car bombing in Khalis on January 12, and one that was discovered and dismantled in Mandali the next day. IS also carried out a huge number of harassing attacks mostly using IEDs. The organization has mostly been using the province as a base for operations in other parts of the country, but perhaps because of the loss of Ramadi, it decided to carry out retaliatory attacks in Diyala.

Kirkuk has very few attacks, but witnessed a slew of dead bodies showing up throughout the province at the start of the year. From January 1-7 eight bodies were found in various locations. Most were shot, but one man was beheaded. Whether these were the result of local disputes, actions of IS or other groups is unknown.

In Ninewa there was a large number of executions. The press reported that IS killed 203 people during the week including 96 members of the ISF in the Mosul and Qayara areas.

The group continued attacks upon the peshmerga in Ninewa as well, but they appeared to be on the decline. There were assaults on Bashiqa, Kazar and Makhmour, and rocket fire on a town in Sinjar, but they lacked the intensity of previous weeks when IS was probing the Kurdish defenses up and down the front in the province. Nothing was achieved, so therefore the militants might be returning to simply harassing operations now.

IS was active up and down Salahaddin with major assaults in the north at the end of the month. There were the usual number of IEDs and shootings in the southern towns of Taji and Tarmiya. In the Ajeel oil field, Baiji area, to the north of there in the Makhoul Mountains, and Tal Kasiba IS launched 7 car bombs and 12 suicide bombers along with some intense infantry attacks. It also made an attempt upon the provincial security commander with a suicide car bomb. Again, these were likely carried out to make up for the losses in Ramadi.

During the week there were a total of 36 vehicle borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs). 8 were successful with the other 28 being destroyed or dismantled. 79 people were killed and 134 wounded as a result. While the vast majority of these were used in military operations in Anbar and Salahaddin, four were used in the terrorist attacks in Baghdad and Diyala.

Violence In Iraq By Week 2015-16

Date	Incidents	Dead	Wounded
Jan 1-7	226	540	525
Jan 8-14	187	776	514
Jan 15-21	197	438	528
Jan 22-28	207	573	898 + 150
Jan 29-31	94	329	567
JAN	911	2,656	3,032 + 150
Feb 1-7	168	572	689
Feb 8-14	183	462	572
Feb 15-21	177	697	383
Feb 22-28	202	614	722
FEB	730	2,345	2,366
Mar 1-7	196	408	595
Mar 8-14	164	419	655
Mar 15-21	178	1,312	505
Mar 22-28	201	310	406
Mar 29-31	81	212 + 4	218 + 150
MAR	820	2,665	2,529
Apr 1-7	153	276	422
Apr 8-14	165	864	525
Apr 15-21	190	880	714
Apr 22-28	187	564	479
Apr 29-30	56	169	182 + 299
APR	751	2,753	2,621
May 1-7	176	651	448
May 8-14	167	450	542
May 15-21	149	996	390
May 22-28	131	362 + 1,499	344
May 29-31	49	87	164 + 646
MAY	672	2,546 + 1,499	1,888 + 646
Jun 1-7	155	534	475
Jun 8-14	146	649 + 405	389
Jun 15-21	153	403	373
Jun 22-28	182	366	474
Jun 29-30	66	126 + 22	189 + 106
JUN	702	2,100 + 405	2,006
Jul 1-7	161	435	719
Jul 8-14	140	384	570
Jul 15-21	109	359	597 + 4,024
Jul 22-28	145	527	590
Jul 29-31	53	193 + 260	203 + 400
JUL	608	2,158	3,079 + 4,024
Aug 1-7	154	650 + 760	298
Aug 8-14	133	756	640
Aug 15-21	135	345	354
Aug 22-28	136	342	296
Aug 29-31	59	112	169
AUG	617	2,205 + 760	1,757
Sep 1-7	139	285	352
Sep 8-14	144	368	394
Sep 15-21	123	323	488
Sep 22-28	128	190	258
Sep 29-30	39	106 + 19	147 + 8
SEP	573	1,291 + 314	1,647 + 3,003
Oct 1-7	120	337	398
Oct 8-14	144	254	389
Oct 15-21	142	208	279
Oct 22-28	129	216	366
Oct 29-31	49	110	116 + 1
OCT	584	1,124	1,549
Nov 1-7	125	186	316
Nov 8-14	121	265	354
Nov 15-21	140	358	420
Nov 22-28	107	289	261 + 124 + 1,322
Nov 29-30	37	52 + 24	103 + 1
NOV	530	1,174	1,455 + 124 + 1,322
Dec 1-7	118	158	249
Dec 8-14	128	246	248
Dec 15-21	140	242	326 + 5,920
Dec 22-28	127	292	346
Dec 29-31	40	203 + 14	83
DEC	553	1,155	1,252 + 5,920
Jan 1-7	150	808	421
Jan 8-14	140	408	417

Security By Province Jan 8-14, 2016

Province	Jan 8-14
Anbar	14 Incidents 10 Killed: 3 Sahwa, 7 ISF 46 Wounded: 7 Sahwa, 18 ISF, 21 Civilians 7 Shootings 2 Mortars 1 Rockets 15 Suicide Bombers Killed 5 Suicide Car Bombs Destroyed 9 Car Bombs Destroyed
Babil	5 Incidents 9 Killed: 1 ISF, 8 Civilians 20 Wounded: 2 ISF, 18 Civilians 2 Shootings 3 IEDs
Baghdad	53 Incidents 80 Killed: 5 ISF, 75 Civilians 216 Wounded: 6 ISF, 210 Civilians 17 Shootings 23 IEDs 4 Sticky Bombs 3 Suicide Bombers 3 Car Bombs 2 Mortars 1 Motorcycle Bomb Dismantled
Babil	1 Incident 2 Wounded: 2 ISF 1 Grenade
Diyala	22 Incidents 56 Killed: 2 Hashd, 3 ISF, 51 Civilians 86 Wounded: 5 Hashd, 13 ISF, 68 Civilians 3 Shootings 17 IEDs 3 Sticky Bombs 1 Suicide Car Bomb 1 Car Bomb 2 Mortars 1 Car Bomb Dismantled
Irbil	1 Incident 1 Rockets
Kirkuk	2 Incidents 1 Killed: 1 Civilian
Ninewa	14 Incidents 214 Killed: 11 Peshmerga, 96 ISF, 107 Civilians 8 Shootings 1 IED 1 Rocket
Salahaddin	28 Incidents 28 Killed: 8 ISF, 15 Hashd, 15 Civilians 47 Wounded: 12 ISF, 14 Civilians, 21 Hashd 14 Shootings 5 IEDs 3 Suicide Car Bombs 2 Rockets 12 Suicide Bombers Killed 11 Suicide Car Bombs Destroyed 2 Car Bombs

Car Bombs In Iraq, January 2016

Date	Location	Dead	Wounded
Jan 1	North of Ramadi x4, Anbar 35 Kilo, Haditha & North of Ramadi, Anbar – 11 destroyed	60	70
Jan 2	Albu Faraj, Anbar – 1 destroyed
Jan 3	Camp Speicher x2, Slaahaddin Barwana, Garma, Haditha Nazim & Ramadi, Anbar – 46 destroyed	20	17
Jan 4	Outside Haditha, Anbar Wadi Horan, Anbar - 3 destroyed Baya, Baghdad – 1 destroyed	11	30
Jan 5	Nikhaib x2 & Ramadi, Anbar Barwana, Niamiya & Ramadi, Anbar – 13 destroyed	8
Jan 6	Ramadi, Anbar – 2 destroyed
Jan 7
Totals	10 – 77 destroyed	99	117
Jan 8	Barwana, Anbar – 5 destroyed
Jan 9
Jan 10
Jan 11	Nahrawan & New Baghdad x2, Baghdad Muqtadiya, Diyala	69	118
Jan 12	Khalis, Diyala Jazeera, Salahaddin – 8 destroyed	3	10
Jan 13	East of Ramadi & Jubba, Anbar – 9 destroyed Mandali, Diyala – 1 destroyed
Jan 14	East & Tal Kasiba x2, Salahaddin Ajeel, Makhoul Mountains, Tal Kasiba, Salahaddin – 5 destroyed	7	6
Totals	8 – 28 Destroyed	79	134

SOURCES

Adel, Loaa, "Anti-Terrorism forces enter Sofiya area east of Ramadi," Iraqi News, 1/13/16

- "Media officials announce liberation of Anbar security department," Iraqi News, 1/11/16

- "PMF foils ISIS attack in northern Salahuddin," Iraqi News, 1/14/16

- "Security forces liberate majority of Sofiya, advance to Sijariya and Albu Ghanem," Iraqi News, 1/14/16

Agence France Presse, "Bombings at Iraq café kill 20: Officials," 1/11/16

- "IS attack in Baghdad kills at least 12: officials," 1/11/16

AIN, "17 Daash killed including bombers in thwart attack on Ajeel fields," 1/14/16

- "Diyala: dismantled an explosive device inside a car in Mandali," 1/13/16

- "Freed all the areas around Sufiya east Ramadi," 1/10/16

- "ISF, PMU liberate Albu-Ghanm area, progress to center of Ramadi," 8/2/15

Alsumaria, "Commander Salahaddin operations survived a suicide bombing in east of province," 1/14/16

Buratha News, "Anti-terrorism forces regained control of all of Barwana area," 1/4/16

- "Security forces enter four regions of eastern Ramadi as part of liberation operation," 12/31/15

- "Security forces repel a massagive Daash offensive west of Tikrit killign 25 fighters," 1/12/16

Cunningham, Erin and Salim, Mustafa, "Militants mount deadly mall attack in Baghdad," Washington Post, 1/11/16

Al Forat, "7 Daash killed including car bombs and vehicles in Makhoul," 1/14/16

- "Cleared Albu Soda area east of Ramadi and raised the Iraqi flag," 1/14/16

- "Military advance towards East Husaiba to clear Daash," 1/13/16

- "Start of a military operation to purge western Barwana region," 1/9/16

Hussein, Mohammed, Mohammed, Araz, Ali, Amir, "After battlefield defeats, IS hits softer targets," Iraq Oil Report, 1/12/16

Independent Press Agency, "Anti-terrorism unit announces full control of the center of Ramadi," 1/9/16

Al Mada, "40th Street cleared in east Ramadi killing dozens of Daash," 1/14/16

- "Anbar operations: Purged regions and killed dozens of Daash south of Fallujah," 1/11/16

- "Cleared two near areas north of Ramadi, killing dozens of Daash militants," 12/27/15

- "Clearing all the areas in central Ramadi, killing dozens of Daash," 1/3/16

- "Death and injury of 11 members of the joint forces in Alam and police imposed a curfew," 1/14/15

- "Killing 6 Daash members north of Mosul," 1/14/16

- "Killing and wounding 10 members of the security forces in the New Baghdad attacks," 1/11/16

Mamoun, Abdelhak, "5 civilians killed in double bombing east of Baghdad," 1/11/16

- "16 ISIS elements killed, 700 families besieged east of Ramadi," Iraqi News, 1/13/16

Al Masalah, "Freed Anbar Electricity Department," 1/11/16

- "Freed Marif College east Ramadi," 1/9/16

NINA, "/6/ Vehicles for the enemy destroyed and two tankers addressed," 1/14/16

- "/11/ elements of the Peshmerga forces killed in rocket bombing by Daash organization northwest of Mosul," 1/14/16

- "Albu Atha Area Freed From Daash, Dozens Terrorists Killed," 8/21/15

- "Anti-terrorism device enters al-Sufiya area in Ramadi," 1/7/16

- "The Liberate of the occupied areas in Barwana from the control of Daash terrorists," 1/8/16

- "Peshmerga foiled an attack by Daash southeast of Mosul," 1/14/16

- "Ramadi General Hospital, 50% of Albu Ghannam Region Freed," 8/3/15

- "Security Forces Call On People Of Sufiah And Sajaria Regions To Leave Their Areas," 1/11/16

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, "At Least 18 Killed, As Gunmen Attack Baghdad Mall," 1/11/16

Rudaw, "Iraqi army reports more gains against ISIS," 1/4/16

Salaheddin, Sinan, "Iraqi PM vows to rout IS after mall bombing, mosque attacks," Associated Press, 1/12/16

Sarhan, Amre, "Security forces fully liberate al-Mallab in southern Ramadi," Iraqi News, 1/8/16

Shafaq News, "Spokesman of operations: Security forces reach two areas near Ramadi," 10/6/15

Sotaliraq, "Anbar operations command declres the liberation of all of Albu Aetha northeast of Ramadi," 1/13/16

- "Diyala Health: final outcome of the bombings in Muqdadiyah reached 85 people dead and wounded," 1/12/16

- "Gaood announced repelling a Daash attack upon Barwana," 1/8/16

- "Killing 16 Daash members east of Ramadi and help 700 families flee organization," 1/13/16

- "Peshmerga announce the killing of a number of Daash in repelling an attack on their positions," 1/9/16

- "Security forces liberated Sura area east of Ramadi," 1/14/16

Xinhua, "Security forces regain new ground from IS in Iraq's Ramadi," 1/13/16

- "Suicide bomb attack kills 3 in Iraq's Diyala," 1/12/16