After over eight weeks of relatively low-level violence in
Iraq, the number of security incidents finally took a jump in the middle of
August. The main cause was a surge in attacks in Baghdad. On the other hand,
the Iraqi forces were busy trying to clear the Fallujah-Ramadi corridor in
Anbar, while the Kurds and government were making their slow progress towards
Mosul in Ninewa.
There were 155 security incidents reported in Iraq from
August 15-21, 2016. Before that there were around 110-120 incidents per week
since the last full week of June. The 155 in the third week of August were the
most recorded since 177 in the first week of June.
The main reason for the uptick was Baghdad province where
incidents went from 53 the week before to 81 the third week of August.
Otherwise the other provinces stayed around the same levels as previous week.
There were 23 in Ninewa, 20 in Anbar, 11 in Kirkuk, 8 in Diyala, 7 in
Salahaddin, 3 in Babil, 1 in Basra, and 1 in Sulaymaniya.
Like incidents, casualties also increased during the week in
Iraq. There were 388 dead and 391 wounded reported in the media, which were the
highest figures since 589 killed and 635 wounded the first week of July. The
dead consisted of 6 Sahwa, 10 Hashd, 24 Peshmerga, 50 members of the Iraqi
Security Forces (ISF), and 298 civilians. The wounded were made up of 3
Asayesh, 8 Sahwa, 9 Peshmerga, 17 Hashd, 42 ISF, and 312 civilians.
Despite the high number of attacks in Baghdad, Ninewa was
actually the deadliest province with 173 fatalities. That was followed by 101
in Baghdad, 43 in Anbar, 35 in Kirkuk, 30 in Salahaddin, 4 in Diyala, 1 in
Babil, and 1 in Basra.
Almost all the violence in Anbar during the week was in the
Fallujah-Ramadi corridor. The government declared Khalidiya Island freed at the
end of July but heavy fighting and security operations continue there. Despite
the earlier claim the second phase of the Khalidiya campaign
was announced for the second time on August 19, and elements of the Hashd said
they controlled 80% of the area. That of
course provoked several Islamic State counter attacks in the area. There were
also several clashes outside Ramadi, and a suicide car bomb in the district. In
liberated Fallujah a series of IS prisons were discovered with 13
bodies in them. There were also some incidents in the west and east in Rutba,
Hit, Haditha, and Amiriya Fallujah. In total there were 20 incidents leaving 43
dead and 31 injured.
Baghdad had an explosion of violence. There have been around
50-60 incidents in the province for the last several weeks, but in the 3rd
week of August that shot up to 81. As usual most of that activity happened in
the north, 24 incidents, and south, 26. 32 of those incidents were in the outer
towns where IS bases a lot of their operations. The militants were not able to
carry out any mass casualty bombings but there were suicide attacks in Yusifiya
and Tarmiya, and a car bomb at a checkpoint in Bab al-Sham. By the end of the
week there were 101 dead and 253 wounded.
Violence
in Baghdad, Aug 15-21, 2016
Center: 2 – 1 Robbery, 1 Sticky Bomb
East: 10 – 1 Grenades, 2
Kidnappings, 3 IEDs, 4 Shootings
Outer East: 3 – 1 Sticky Bomb, 2
IEDs
North: 9 – 1 Car Bomb, 1 Grenades, 1
Shooting, 1 Sticky Bomb, 4 IEDs
Outer North: 15 – 1 Suicide Bomber,
1 Sticky Bomb, 4 Shootings, 4 Suicide Bombers Killed, 9 IEDs
South: 9 – 1 Robbery, 2 Shootings, 2
IEDs, 4 Kidnappings
Outer South: 17 – 1 Suicide Bomber,
1 Grenades, 1 Sticky Bomb, 4 Shootings, 10 IEDs
West: 9 – 1 Kidnapping, 2 Sticky
Bombs, 2 Shootings, 4 IEDs
Outer West: 8 – 2 Shootings, 6 IEDs
Things were relatively quiet in Kirkuk with some sporadic
attacks upon the Peshmerga and some shootings with two exceptions. First, a
group of displaced trying to flee IS controlled Hawija were hit by an IED, and a suicide bomber hit a Shiite shrine in Kirkuk city, while another was arrested before he could set off his
device. In total there were 11 incidents leaving 35 dead and 21 injured.
Government, Kurdish and Islamic State forces were all active
in Ninewa. First, the Kurds finished their foray that started the
week before and claimed to have cleared 12 towns. According to Iraq Oil Report however, the Kurds declared
those areas freed when the enemy stopped firing and didn’t sweep through and
secure them. Iraqi forces also took three towns in the Qayara
district. The insurgents were busy with attacks not only against the latest
operations, but also in the Sinjar district in the west. Besides that three
Coalition airstrikes in Mosul were blamed for 43 civilians deaths and 35
wounded. IS executed another 77 people for various acts of defiance, and the
bodies of 30 policemen were found in a mass grave. All together that led to 23
incidents with 173 fatalities and 40 wounded.
There were growing political disputes over the future Mosul
operation. First, Prime Minister Haidar Abadi suggested that the Kurds should not move from their present
positions. They responded by saying they would not withdraw from the areas that
they had liberated in Ninewa, that they would be involved in the liberation of Mosul, and that they controlled some
of the main routes into the city. At the same time, Kurdistan said that it
would abide by the agreements it made
with Baghdad and the Coalition over Mosul. This series of comments highlighted
the growing arguments over Mosul, which will continue after the city is freed
as every faction wants a piece of the campaign to free it, and then to control
Mosul and the entire Ninewa province afterward.
There were few incidents in Salahaddin, but some deadly
ones. The main source of casualties was the Islamic State attacking people
attempting to flee their control. A total of 28 displaced were killed and 36
wounded in shootings, mortar fire and IEDs. This has been happening in several
provinces not just Salahaddin as government forces approach the last bastions
held by the militants.
Kurdish Asayesh intercepted
a suicide bomber in the mountains of Sulaymaniya province who set off his
device wounding three Kurdish security members.
There were just two successful car bombs in the week. One
was in Anbar and the other in Baghdad. They took the lives of two people and
wounded another 9. Another four were destroyed in Anbar, Diyala, and Ninewa.
Violence
In Iraq 2016
|
Date
|
Incidents
|
Dead
|
Wounded
|
|
Jan 1-7
|
179
|
866
|
476
|
|
Jan 8-14
|
168
|
560
|
480
|
|
Jan 15-21
|
166
|
400
|
335
|
|
Jan 22-28
|
154
|
457
|
361
|
|
Jan 29-31
|
56
|
135
|
334
|
|
JAN
|
723
|
2,418
|
1,986
|
|
Feb 1-7
|
184
|
626
|
355
|
|
Feb 8-14
|
150
|
259
|
375
|
|
Feb 15-21
|
162
|
400
|
293
|
|
Feb 22-29
|
161
|
400
|
701
|
|
FEB
|
657
|
1,685
|
1,724
|
|
Mar 1-7
|
185
|
351
|
484
|
|
Mar 8-14
|
169
|
477
|
517
|
|
Mar 15-21
|
133
|
419
|
510
|
|
Mar 22-28
|
141
|
245
|
432
|
|
Mar 29-31
|
53
|
192
|
152
|
|
MAR
|
681
|
1,684
|
2,095
|
|
Apr 1-7
|
157
|
398
|
508
|
|
Apr 8-14
|
146
|
361
|
443
|
|
Apr 15-21
|
130
|
531
|
300
|
|
Apr 22-28
|
165
|
480
|
532
|
|
Apr 29-30
|
31
|
65
|
121
|
|
APR
|
629
|
1,835
|
1,904
|
|
May 1-7
|
164
|
386
|
422
|
|
May 8-14
|
147
|
407
|
687
|
|
May 15-21
|
127
|
387
|
617
|
|
May 22-28
|
150
|
315
|
445
|
|
May 29-31
|
85
|
142
|
313
|
|
MAY
|
673
|
1,632
|
2,484
|
|
Jun 1-7
|
177
|
592
|
1,639
|
|
Jun 8-14
|
136
|
345
|
472
|
|
Jun 15-21
|
154
|
416
|
523
|
|
Jun 22-28
|
123
|
329
|
410
|
|
Jun 29-30
|
40
|
429
|
3,405
|
|
JUN
|
630
|
2,111
|
6,449
|
|
Jul 1-7
|
120
|
589
|
635
|
|
Jul 8-14
|
129
|
242
|
316
|
|
Jul 15-21
|
123
|
168
|
272
|
|
Jul 22-28
|
115
|
234
|
366
|
|
Jul 29-31
|
43
|
95
|
119
|
|
JUL
|
530
|
1,328
|
1,708
|
|
Aug 1-7
|
109
|
342
|
255
|
|
Aug 8-14
|
121
|
176
|
245
|
|
Aug 15-21
|
155
|
388
|
391
|
Security
By Province Aug 15-21 2016
|
Province
|
Incidents
|
|
Anbar
|
20 Incidents
43 Killed: 1 Sahwa, 4 Hashd, 10
ISF, 28 Civilians
31 Wounded: 2 Civilians, 2 Sahwa,
3 Hashd, 24 ISF
7 Shootings
4 IEDs
1 Sound Bomb
1 Suicide Car Bomb
2 Mortars
13 Suicide Bombers Killed
2 Car Bombs Destroyed
|
|
Babil
|
3 Incidents
1 Killed: 1 Civilian
1 Wounded: 1 ISF
1 Shooting
2 IEDs
|
|
Baghdad
|
81 Incidents
101 Killed: 5 Sahwa, 6 Hashd, 9
ISF, 81 Civilians
253 Wounded: 6 Sahwa, 14 ISF, 14
Hashd, 219 Civilians
19 Shootings
39 IEDs
8 Sticky Bombs
2 Suicide Bombers
1 Car Bomb
5 Grenades
4 Suicide Bombers Killed
|
|
Diyala
|
8 Incidents
4 Killed: 4 Civilians
1 Wounded: 1 Civilian
3 Shootings
5 IEDs
1 Car Bomb Dismantled
|
|
Kirkuk
|
11 Incidents
35 Killed: 1 Peshmerga, 34
Civilians
21 Wounded: 1 Peshmerga, 2 ISF, 18
Civilians
5 Shootings
2 IEDs
1 Sticky Bomb
1 Suicide Bomber
1 Mortar
1 Suicide Bomber Captured
|
|
Ninewa
|
23 Incidents
173 Killed: 23 Peshmerga, 30 ISF,
120 Civilians
40 Wounded: 5 Peshmerga, 35
Civilians
16 Shootings
2 Suicide Bombers Killed
1 Suicide Car Bomb Destroyed
|
|
Salahaddin
|
7 Incidents
30 Killed: 30 Civilians
39 Wounded: 3 Peshmerga, 36
Civilians
4 Shootings
2 IEDs
1 Mortar
|
|
Sulaymaniya
|
1 Incident
3 Wounded: 3 Asayesh
1 Suicide Bomber
|
Car
Bombs In Iraq Aug 1-7 2016
|
Date
|
Car Bombs
|
Dead
|
Wounded
|
|
Aug 1
|
Shirqat, Salahaddin
– 3 destroyed
|
||
|
Aug 2
|
Hadhar &
Qayara, Ninewa – 15 destroyed
|
||
|
Aug 3
|
Tarmiya,
Baghdad – 1 destroyed
|
||
|
Aug 4
|
North
of Baquba, Diyala
|
1
|
5
|
|
Aug 5
|
|||
|
Aug 6
|
|||
|
Aug 7
|
|||
|
Totals
|
1 – 19 Destroyed
|
1
|
5
|
|
Au 8
|
|||
|
Aug 9
|
|||
|
Aug 10
|
Arab
Jabour, Baghdad
Qayara
Base x3, Ninewa
|
15
|
8
|
|
Aug 11
|
Samawa,
Muthanna
Haj Ali &
Hadhar, Ninewa – 6 destroyed
|
2
|
5
|
|
Aug 12
|
Albu Assaf &
Khalidiya Island, Anbar – 2 destroyed
|
||
|
Aug 13
|
|||
|
Aug 14
|
Azwaip, Anbar – 1
destroyed
Khazir, Ninewa – 1
destroyed
|
||
|
Totals
|
5 – 10 Destroyed
|
17
|
13
|
|
Aug 15
|
|||
|
Aug 16
|
Ramadi
Dist, Anbar
Hit, Anbar – 2
destroyed
Qaraqoush,
Ninewa – 1 destroyed
|
4
|
|
|
Aug 17
|
Bab
al-Sham, Baghdad
Baquba, Diyala
– 1 destroyed
|
2
|
5
|
|
Aug 18
|
|||
|
Aug 19
|
|||
|
Aug 20
|
|||
|
Aug 21
|
|||
|
Totals
|
2 – 4 Destroyed
|
2
|
9
|
SOURCES
Abdul-Zahra,
Qassim, "Iraqi Forces Push Islamic State out of Western Iraqi Town,"
Associated Press, 8/19/16
Bas
News, "IS Assault Against Peshmerga Strongly Repelled Near Mosul,' 8/16/16
eKurd, "Iraqi Kurdistan News in brief - August 18,
2016," 8/18/16
Iraqi News, "Blast kills six civilians while fleeing form
ISIS-controlled areas," 8/15/16
-
"Four villages south of Mosul freed from ISIS control," 8/16/16
-
"Mass grave containing policemen discovered south of Mosul," 8/21/16
-
"Peshmerga ends its offensive in Mosul," 8/15/16
-
"Suicide bombing in Ramadi injures 4 Iraqi border guards men,"
8/16/16
Al Maalomah, "The death of a citizen and wounding four others
in bombing of Sadiq Shiite shrine in terrorist attack in Kirkuk," 8/21/16
-
"Popular crowd announces it controls over 80% of Khalidiya Island,"
8/21/16
Al Mada, "Found 13 civilian bodies inside 10 Daash prison in
Fallujah," 8/17/16
-
"Killing and wounding six people in bombing north Baghdad," 8/17/16
- “Presidency of Kurdistan region calls for political
agreement that ensures the normalization of the situation after the liberation
of Mosul,” 8/21/16
-
"The start of the second phase of the liberation of Khalidiya
Island," 8/19/16
NINA,
"A Car Bomb Defused In Outskirts Of Baquba," 8/17/16
Osgood, Patrick and Tahir, Rawaz, “Kurdish forces make hard
progress toward Mosul,” Iraq Oil Report, 8/17/16
Rudaw, “In response to Iraqi army Kurds say: “we hold key
routes to Mosul,”” 8/21/16
- “KRG to Abadi: The Peshmerga will not withdraw,” 8/17/16
Xinhua, “Kurdish Peshmerga to abide by agreements with
Baghdad over Mosul liberation,” 8/20/16
- “Security forces foil 2 suicide bomb attacks in Iraq's
Kirkuk," 8/22/16
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