6,732 Dead and Wounded In Iraq In March 2017

6,732 people died or were wounded in Iraq in March 2017. That compared to 4,290 casualties in February. It was the highest figure since 13,184 dead and injured were reported in December 2016. The cause of the huge increase was the fighting in Mosul. In the middle of February the government re-started its campaign by assaulting the western half of the city. The dense layout, the use of human shields by the Islamic State and its indiscriminate attack upon civilians, and an increase in air strikes, mortars and artillery by the Coalition and Iraqi forces have all contributed to the rising number of fatalities and injured. At the same time, because the government is not reporting casualties and there is only limited access to the front in Mosul the recorded numbers should be considered a minimum.

There were 715 security incidents reported in the press. 453 of them happened in Ninewa. Another 125 were in Baghdad, 37 in Anbar, 34 in Diyala, 33 in Salahaddin, 21 in Kirkuk, 5 in Babil, 3 in Basra, and 1 each in Dohuk, Irbil, Muthanna, Najaf and Sulaymaniya.

That violence led to 3,467 deaths and 3,265 injured. 2 Sahwa, 23 Peshmerga, 38 Hashd al-Shaabi, 161 members of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), and 3,243 civilians were killed. Another 278 ISF were said to have died in the fighting in Mosul since it started in October. 4 Peshmerga, 5 Sahwa, 68 Hashd, 218 ISF, and 2,970 civilians were also wounded. There were an additional 2,925 ISF injured as well in Mosul since October.

In comparison, Iraq Body Count had 1,920 civilians, police, Sahwa, Hashd and Islamic State members executed by IS in March. The United Nations counted 543 civilians 5 police killed and 561 civilians and 6 police injured.

Broken down by province 3,114 died in Ninewa, 117 in Baghdad, 76 in Salahaddin, 59 in Anbar, 48 in Diyala, 32 in Kirkuk, 19 in Babil, and 1 each in Basra and Dohuk.

There remained a low level of insurgent activity in Anbar. 37 incidents there led to 59 deaths and 101 wounded. The insurgents still hold the western section of the province. Most of its attacks are in the center between Fallujah and Ramadi. There are regular attempts at mass casualty bombings. 1 suicide bomber, 1 suicide car bomb, and 3 car bombs detonated during the month, and another 13 suicide bombers were killed and 8 car bombs destroyed.

Security in Baghdad has steadily improved. That’s a direct result of the operation in Mosul. Some of the lowest violence figures have been recorded as a result. There was an average of 4.0 incidents per day, down from around 10 just a few months ago. There are even few major bombings, although a car and truck bomb did go off in March. That means casualties, at 117 dead and 306 wounded, were also way down from previous levels.

Diyala, Kirkuk and Salahaddin are where the insurgents are rebuilding in the rural areas. IS still holds a district in southern Kirkuk as well. Despite that presence there is little violence in all three governorates. Kirkuk only had 21 incidents, Salahaddin 33, and Diyala 34. IS still launches bombings there but even those declined in March with a suicide bomber killed, and 3 car bombs dismantled in Diyala, and 1 car bomb and 2 suicide bombers in Salahaddin with another 2 car bombs dismantled.

Ninewa was what drove all the high numbers in March. There were 453 attacks leaving 3,114 dead and 2,675 wounded. The Islamic State was accused of executing 492 people. Coalition air strikes were blamed for another 499 deaths and 56 injured. That was topped off by the Jadida incident where 278 were killed. The majority of the rest of the casualties were civilians caught up in the fighting.

Violence In Iraq 2017

Date	Incidents	Dead	Wounded
Jan 1-7	188	509	1,346
Jan 8-14	168	363	1,044
Jan 15-21	137	583	1,264
Jan 22-28	145	289	310
Jan 29-31	74	127	338
JAN	712	1,871	4,302
Feb 1-7	123	388	176
Feb 8-14	164	433	391
Feb 15-21	145	381	505
Feb 22-28	181	630 + 399	1,386 + 1,634
FEB	613	1,832 + 399	2,458 + 1,634
Mar 1-7	179	749	622
Mar 8-14	170	551	613
Mar 15-21	142	560	1,166
Mar 22-28	152	1,195	575
Mar 29-31	71	374 + 278	288 + 2,925
MAR	715	3,429 + 278	3,265 + 2,925

Violence By Province Mar 29-31, 2017

Province	Violence
Anbar	2 Incidents 13 Killed: 1 ISF + 12 Civilians 37 Wounded: 3 ISF + 34 Civilians 1 IED 1 Suicide Car Bomb
Baghdad	9 Incidents 22 Killed: 1 Hashd, 4 ISF, 17 Civilians 62 Wounded: 2 ISF, 2 Hashd, 58 Civilians 3 Shootings 5 IEDs 1 Suicide Truck Bomb
Diyala	2 Incidents 1 Shooting
Ninewa	54 Incidents 338 Killed + 278 ISF: 9 ISF, 329 Civilians 189 Wounded + 2,925 ISF: 189 Civilians 12 Shootings 2 IEDs 3 Rockets 18 Mortars 10 Suicide Bombers Killed 11 Car Bombs Destroyed
Salahaddin	4 Incidents 1 Killed: 1 Civilian 2 Shootings 1 IED 1 Car Bomb Dismantled

Violence By Province March, 2017

Province	Violence
Anbar	37 Incidents 59 Killed: 1 Sahwa, 2 Hashd, 24 ISF, 32 Civilians 101 Wounded: 2 Sahwa, 7 Hashd, 34 ISF, 58 Civilians 11 Shootings 11 IEDs 1 Suicide Bomber 1 Suicide Car Bomb 3 Car Bombs 3 Rockets 1 Mortar 13 Suicide Bombers Killed 8 Car Bombs Destroyed
Babil	5 Incidents 19 Killed: 19 Civilians 12 Wounded: 3 Civilians, 9 Hashd 2 IEDs 1 Grenade
Baghdad	124 Incidents 117 Killed: 1 Sahwa, 5 Hashd, 9 ISF, 102 Civilians 306 Wounded: 3 Sahwa, 6 Hashd, 13 ISF, 284 Civilians 29 Shootings 77 IEDs 5 Sticky Bombs 1 Suicide Truck Bomb 1 Car Bomb 1 Mortar 1 Grenade 2 Suicide Bombers Killed
Basra	3 Incidents 1 Killed: 1 Civilian 1 Wounded: 1 ISF 1 Shooting 1 Sound Bomb 1 Grenade
Diyala	34 Incidents 48 Killed: 7 ISF, 7 Hashd, 14 Civilians, 20 Peshmerga 21 Wounded: 3 ISF, 8 Hashd, 10 Civilians 15 Shootings 6 IEDs 3 Mortars 1 Suicide Bomber Killed 3 Car Bombs Dismantled
Dohuk	1 Incident 1 Killed: 1 Peshmerga 1 Shooting
Irbil	1 Incident 1 Shooting
Kirkuk	21 Incidents 32 Killed: 1 Peshmerga, 2 ISF, 29 Civilians 14 Wounded: 4 ISF, 10 Civilians 8 Shootings 9 IEDs
Muthanna	1 Incident 1 Wounded: 1 ISF 1 Shooting
Najaf	1 Incident 1 Shooting
Ninewa	453 Incidents 3,076 Killed + 278 ISF: 13 Hashd, 117 ISF, 2,946 Civilians 2,675 Wounded + 2,925 ISF: 8 Hashd, 162 ISF, 2,505 Civilians 70 Shootings 33 IEDs 1 Sticky Bomb 3 Suicide Bombers 6 Suicide Car Bombs 14 Car Bombs 1 Motorcycle Bomb 18 Rockets 93 Mortars 2 Drone Strikes 1 ATM Missile 125 Suicide Bombers Killed 5 Suicide Car Bombs Destroyed 355 Car Bombs Destroyed
Salahaddin	33 Incidents 76 Killed: 1 Peshmerga, 2 ISF, 11 Hashd, 62 Civilians 134 Wounded: 4 Peshmerga, 30 Hashd, 100 Civilians 17 Shootings 6 IEDs 2 Suicide Bombers 1 Car Bomb 6 Mortars 1 Grenade 2 Car Bombs Destroyed
Sulaymaniya	1 Incident 1 Shooting