Security In Iraq, Sep 8-14, 2016

There was a continued ebb and flow in violence in Iraq. In the middle of August 2016 there was a surge in incidents, but that has subsided in September. Casualties have also widely fluctuated.

From September 8-14, 2016 there were 125 incidents. That was roughly the same as the 119 recorded the week before, and the 134 incidents from August 22-28. Incidents regularly go up and down in Iraq for a number of reasons. Sometimes the Islamic State is fighting back against government offensives. Sometimes it picks up its terrorist campaign in Baghdad or its executions in Kirkuk and Salahaddin. Overall, violence has been going down this year.

Casualties dropped considerably from the first to second week of the month. In the first week there were 722 dead and wounded. That went down to 197 killed and 313 injured the second week. 3 Peshmerga, 4 Sahwa, 5 Hashd, 9 members of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), and 176 civilians lost their lives. 4 Sahwa, 10 ISF, 11 Hashd, 12 Peshmerga, and 274 civilians were injured. As usual Baghdad was the deadliest province with 121 killed, followed by 37 in Kirkuk, 13 in Anbar, 11 in Diyala, 8 in Salahaddin, 6 in Anbar, and 1in Basra. Casualties are chronically under reported in Iraq. The government does not release figures for major battles and many attacks outside of Baghdad do not get into the media.

The 13 attacks reported in Anbar were spread across the province. Haditha and Rutba in the west and Thar Thar in the west were assaulted five times. There were also attacks in the Ramadi and Fallujah areas. Some of those were well planned, but failed operations against police stations and army bases. Since the government is suppressing its losses only 6 deaths and 2 injured were recorded during the week.

As the Islamic State attempts to regroup from its territorial losses it has increased its terrorist campaign in Baghdad to show that it is still active and to undermine the government. There are also vigilantes, criminals, and militias active in the province as well. From September 8-14 there were 66 incidents in the capital leading to 121 dead and 272 wounded. Most of that violence occurred in the south with 24 incidents, along with 15 in the east, 14 in the north, 12 in the west, and 1 in the center. At the end of August the government carried out sweeps through Arab Jabour, a rural town in the south and Tarmiya in the outer north. That had little affect, as there was a grenade attack, and three IEDs in those two locations the second week of September. The deadliest attack overall in the province was a suicide bombing followed by a car bomb at a mall in the east that left 40 dead and 60 injured. 2 other suicide bombers were killed before reaching their targets.

Violence In Baghdad, Sep 8-14, 2016

Center: 1 – 1 Suicide Bomber Killed

East: 14 – 1 Suicide Bomber, 1 Suicide Car Bomb, 1 Grenade, 1 Shooting/Robbery, 1 Sticky Bomb,

2 Robberies, 2 IEDs, 6 Shootings

Outer East: 1 – 1 IED

North: 2 – 1 Sticky Bomb, 1 IED

Outer North: 12 – 1 Suicide Bomber killed, 1 Kidnapping, 2 Shootings, 8 IEDs

South: 11 – 1 Sticky Bomb, 1 Grenade, 2 Kidnappings, 3 IEDs, 4 Shootings

Outer South: 13 – 1 Grenade, 1 Robbery, 2 Shootings, 9 IEDs

West: 6 – 1 Shooting/Kidnapping, 1 Shooting/Robbery, 1 Sound Bomb, 3 IEDs

Outer West: 6 – 1 Kidnapping, 1 Robbery, 4 IEDs

Diyala was averaging nearly two incidents per day from May to July, but that suddenly dropped off in August. During the second week of September IS picked up its operations again with 13 total incidents. That included a suicide car bomb that was destroyed and a suicide bomber that was arrested, both in Khalis. The rest were the regularly mix of IEDs and shootings. Those led to 11 dead and 11 wounded.

Almost all of the casualties recorded in Kirkuk during the week were displaced people trying to escape the Islamic State. 29 people were killed and 16 wounded by IEDs as they attempted to flee the control of the insurgents. Another 8 bodies were found and 2 Peshmerga were wounded while on patrol by a bomb.

There was a mix of attacks, executions, and a deadly Coalition air strike in Ninewa. An air raid in the Tal Afar district was blamed for the death of two civilians and five injured. In Mosul, IS executed 12 people. The insurgents also attacked both the ISF and Peshmerga.

Ever since IS seized Ramadi in the middle of 2015 attacks have declined in Salahaddin. Only four incidents were recorded from September 8-14, the fewest in years.

Car Bombs have been at a low level since the end of the Islamic State’s spring offensive. There was only one successful bombing during the week, which occurred in Baghdad. 21 more were reported destroyed with 1 in Diyala, 2 in Anbar, 2 in Salahaddin, and 16 in 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	1,637	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	392
Aug 22-28	134	269	312
Aug 29-31	55	88	172
AUG	574	1,263	1,376
Sep 1-7	119	341	381
Sep 8-14	125	197	313

Security By Province Sep 8-14, 2016

Province	Incidents
Anbar	13 Incidents 6 Killed: 1 Civilian, 5 ISF 2 Wounded: 2 ISF 11 Shootings 1 IED 1 Rockets 15 Suicide Bombers Killed 2 Car Bombs Destroyed
Babil	5 Incidents 2 Wounded: 2 ISF 3 IEDs
Baghdad	66 Incidents 121 Killed: 2 Hashd, 4 ISF, 4 Sahwa, 111 Civilians 272 Wounded: 4 Sahwa, 6 ISF, 11 Hashd, 251 Civilians 17 Shootings 31 IEDs 3 Sticky Bombs 1 Sound Bomb 3 Grenades 1 Suicide Bomber 1 Suicide Car Bomb 2 Suicide Bombers
Basra	3 Incidents 1 Killed: 1 Civilian 1 Shooting 2 IEDs
Diyala	13 Incidents 11 Killed: 3 Hashd, 8 Civilians 11 Wounded: 7 Peshmerga, 4 Civilians 1 Shooting 11 IEDs 1 Sound Bomb 1 Sticky Bomb 1 Suicide Bomber Arrested 1 Suicide Car Bomb
Kirkuk	9 Incidents 37 Killed: 37 Civilians 18 Wounded: 2 Peshmerga, 16 Civilians 9 IEDs
Ninewa	12 Incidents 13 Killed: 3 Peshmerga, 10 Civilians 6 Wounded: 3 Peshmerga, 3 Civilians 5 Shootings 9 IEDs 3 Mortars 7 Suicide Bombers Killed 16 Car Bombs Destroyed
Salahaddin	4 Incidents 8 Killed: 8 Civilians 1 Shooting 1 IED 2 Suicide Car Bombs Destroyed

Car Bombs In Iraq Sep 2016

Date	Car Bombs	Dead	Wounded
Sep 1
Sep 2
Sep 3	Shah Siwan, Salahaddin	7	8
Sep 4
Sep 5	Karrada, Baghdad	12	37
Sep 6
Sep 7
Totals	2 – 0 Destroyed	19	45
Sep 8
Sep 9	Palestine St, Baghdad	40	60
Sep 10
Sep 11
Sep 12	Mosul-Baghdad Road & Zaizaa, Ninewa – 9 destroyed
Sep 13	West & Thar Thar, Anbar – 2 destroyed Khalis, Diyala – 1 destroyed Houd, Ninewa – 7 destroyed
Sep 14	Shirqat & Telul Alpag, Ninewa – 2 destroyed
Totals	1 – 21 Destroyed	40	60

SOURCES

Buratha News, "The destruction of more than seven car bombs in repelling Daesh attack on Qayyarah south of Mosul," 9/12/16

- "Security forces destroyed Daesh explosives in security operation in southern Baghdad," 8/28/16

Al Forat, "Defense announces securing Tarmiya in Baghdad's northern belt," 8/29/16

- "Frustrated Daesh attack with two car bombs and found tunnels north Salahuddin," 9/14/16

Iraqi News, "ISIS launches offensive near Mosul, 100 members killed," 9/12/16

- "Nineveh Operations repulses ISIS 'invasion of Death' near Mosul," 9/13/16

Al Maalomah, "The arrest of a suicide bomber in the center of Khalis Diyala," 9/11/16

Al Mada, "Federal Police repel Daesh attack western Anbar," 9/13/16

NINA, "A number of terrorists killed during repulsing two attacks in Anbar," 9/13/16

- "Two attacks to Daesh foiled in northern Salah al-Din," 9/14/16

Pickard, Eric Scott, "Baghdad Mall Bombing In Iraq Kills At Least 40," Inquisitor, 9/11/16

Shafaq News, "Army repels a strong Daesh attack in Tal Afar area and kill 22, including suicide bombers," 9/12/16

Alsumaria, "A suicide car bomber killed near Baquba," 9/13/16