913 Killed 721 Wounded In Iraq In October 2017

Iraq is witnessing some of the lowest violence since the 2003 invasion. Since the battle of Mosul concluded the Islamic State is retreating and rebuilding, and barely carrying out terrorist attacks let alone fighting in their last redoubts. October 2017 witnessed the fewest security incidents of the year, but had high casualty figures due to mass graves and fighting between the central and Kurdish regional governments.

In October, there were just 286 incidents reported in the press. That averaged out to just 9.2 incidents per day, the lowest figure of not only 2017, but in years. In comparison, in January 2016 there were an average of 23.3 incidents per day, and 22.9 in January 2017. Since Mosul, the Islamic State has collapsed and is barely carrying out operations compared to its previous levels.

By province there was 1 incident in Dhi Qar, 1 in Irbil, 2 in Basra, 2 in Karbala, 2 in Kurdistan, 4 in Sulaymaniya, 13 in Babil, 20 in Diyala, 23 in Salahaddin, 33 in Anbar, 45 in Kirkuk, 63 in Ninewa, and 77 in Baghdad.

Security Incidents In Iraq By Province Oct, 2017

Dhi Qar 1

Irbil 1

Basra 2

Karbala 2

KRG 2

Sulaymaniya 4

Babil 13

Diyala 20

Salahaddin 23

Anbar 33

Kirkuk 45

Ninewa 63

Baghdad 77

Despite the sharp decline in incidents there was a high number of casualties, especially the dead during the month. There were a total of 913 deaths and 721 wounded. 2 Sahwa, 2 Asayesh, 2 Turkish Soldiers, 13 Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) members, 119 members of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), 144 Peshmerga, 172 Hashd al-Shaabi, and 424 civilians lost their lives, and 2 Sahwa, 8 Turkish Soldiers, 49 ISF, 172 Peshmerga, 222 Hashd, and 268 civilians were injured.

By province there were 1 casualty in Basra, 1 in Karblaa, 7 in Sulaymaniya, 10 in Kurdistan, 26 in Babil, 51 in Diyala, 77 in Salahaddin, 78 in Anbar, 210 in Baghdad, 321 in Kirkuk and 460 in Ninewa.

Casualties In Iraq By Province Oct, 2017

Basra 1 (1 Killed)

Karbala 1 (1 Killed)

Sulaymaniya 7 (3 Killed, 4 Wounded)

KRG 10 (5 Killed, 5 Wounded)

Babil 26 (5 Killed, 21 Wounded)

Diyala 51 (20 Killed, 31 Wounded)

Salahaddin 77 (20 Killed, 57 Wounded)

Anbar 78 (47 Killed, 31 Wounded)

Baghdad 210 (48 Killed, 162 Wounded)

Ninewa 469 (403 Killed, 66 Wounded)
Kirkuk 665 (321 Killed, 344 Wounded)

The Iraqi government started and stopped and started again its operation to free west Anbar, the last region of the country under Islamic State control. The haphazard progress was due to delays caused by the central government confronting the Kurds in Kirkuk and Ninewa, which put a hold on the campaign in Anbar. Even with the new fighting there was still just 33 incidents resulting in 47 dead and 31 wounded. Since October 2016 there has been roughly 1 incident per day, and that trend continued in October. Anbar has ceased to be a major battlefront and priority for the insurgents.

There were very few incidents in Babil, but it wasn’t the number that mattered, but their location. There were 13 incidents in the province, but almost all of them were in the Jurf al-Sakhr district in the northeast. This started just a few weeks ago as IS began re-infiltrating the area. This was made all the more difficult because there are no civilians there to hide amongst or gain support from. The militants are likely coming from the Anbar desert to the west and the rural towns of southern Baghdad in the north. They are regularly targeting the security forces every week now. That’s the reason why 25 of the 26 casualties during the month were members of the Hashd and ISF.

Violence has dropped off no place more than Baghdad. There were 77 incidents in October, which averaged out to 2.4 per day. The previous low was 2.6 in June. That might be the lowest figure since the 2003 invasion. Previously, when attacks were dropping IS would still attempt regular mass casualty bombings, but even those have declined. During the month, there was 1 successful car bomb, and 3 suicide bombings, 2 of which failed.

Diyala and Salahaddin were the two places where IS was rebuilding, but their operations took a dramatic drop in both governorates in October. There were 20 incidents in Diyala and 23 in Salahaddin or just 0.6 and 0.7 incidents per day respectively. For the former that was the lowest average since 0.8 in December 2017, and for the latter the fewest since 0.6 in that same month. In Diyala there was only one attempt at a mass casualty bombing, which resulted in a suicide bomber being killed. Before IS was trying at least one such bombing a week in the governorate. In Salahaddin they were more active with 1 suicide bombing, 4 car bombs destroyed, and 16 suicide bombers killed. That was still far fewer than previous months.  

Most of the violence in Kirkuk was driven by clashes between the federal and Kurdish forces. As Baghdad attempted to assert control over Kirkuk and the disputed areas there were a series of battles between the Iraqi forces and Peshmerga. As a result, a total of 55 ISF, 117 Peshmerga and 122 Hashd were killed and 15 ISF, 152 Hashd and 162 Peshmerga were wounded. On top of that, two mass graves were discovered in the Hawija district, which was recently liberated. One had the bodies of 50 ISF executed by the militants, and the other 219 civilians. Every time an area is cleared of the militants such atrocities are discovered. These incidents were a major reason why October had such a high death figure.

In Ninewa there was a mix of clashes between the government and Peshmerga, and low level insurgent attacks. First, 12 ISF, 15 Hashd and 25 Peshmerga along with 10 Peshmerga and 12 Hashd were wounded in the fighting between the two sides. On top of that, IS is still active across the province, although at a low level. That was topped off by an attack upon a Hashd base in Qaraqosh with a suicide bomber and a vehicle bomb. Finally, 60 bodies were recovered from the rubble in west Mosul, and a mass grave with 170 victims of the Islamic State was found south of the city.

Security In Iraq 2017

Week	Security Incidents	Dead	Wounded
Jan 1-7	188	509	1,346
Jan 8-14	168	371	1,036
Jan 15-21	137	585	1,262
Jan 22-28	145	289	310
Jan 29-31	74	127	338
JAN	712	1,881	4,292
Feb 1-7	123	388	176
Feb 8-14	164	434	390
Feb 15-21	148	393	508
Feb 22-28	185	647 + 399	1,390 + 1,634
FEB	620	1,862 + 399	2,464 + 1,634
Mar 1-7	179	749	622
Mar 8-14	171	551	614
Mar 15-21	143	571	1,166
Mar 22-28	152	1,233	575
Mar 29-31	71	374 + 278	288 + 2,925
MAR	716	3,478 + 278	3,265 + 2,925
Apr 1-7	174	903	487
Apr 8-14	126	599	669
Apr 15-21	108	479	449
Apr 22-28	122	698	328
Apr 29-30	39	138	51
APR	569	2,817	1,984
May 1-7	106	405	468
May 8-14	109	601	386
May 15-21	132	363	224
May 22-28	106	433	150
May 29-31	69	214	236
MAY	522	2,016	1,464
Jun 1-7	136	1,403	487
Jun 8-14	127	658	174
Jun 15-21	114	480	101
Jun 22-28	119	340	246
Jun 29-30	37	349	127
JUN	533	3,230	1,135
JAN-JUN	3,669	15,262 + 677	14,497 + 4,559
Jul 1-7	141	798	331
Jul 8-14	105	298	86
Jul 15-21	87	124	72
Jul 22-28	107	189	122
Jul 29-31	37	50	25
JUL	477	1,459	636
Aug 1-7	80	143	188
Aug 8-14	88	955	124
Aug 15-21	73	97	100
Aug 22-28	85	674	132
Aug 29-31	31	30	40
AUG	357	1,958	1,261
Sep 1-7	62	68	73
Sep 8-14	78	412	176
Sep 15-21	91	145	180
Sep 22-28	52	78	104
Sep 29-30	23	25	16
SEP	306	728	549
Oct 1-7	64	60	84
Oct 8-14	72	133	85
Oct 15-21	60	321	449
Oct 22-28	65	337	78
Oct 29-31	25	23	25
OCT	286	913	721

Weekly Violence By Province In Iraq, Oct 2017

	Oct 1-7	Oct 8-14	Oct 15-21	Oct 22-28	Oct 29-31
Anbar	7 Incidents 3 Killed 3 Civilians 1 IED 16 Suicide    Bombers    Killed	11 Incidents 35 Killed 35 Civilians 25 Wounded 25 Civilians 1 Shooting 2 Grenades 8 Suicide    Bombers    Killed 1 Car Bomb    Dismantled	5 Incidents 1 Killed 1 ISF 2 Wounded 2 Civilians 1 Shooting 2 IEDs 3 Suicide    Bombers    Killed 7 Car Bombs    Destroyed	5 Incidents 5 Killed 1 Hashd 4 ISF 1 IED 1 Car Bomb 2 Suicide Car    Bombs    Destroyed 5 Car Bombs     Destroyed	5 Incidents 3 Killed 3 Civilians 4 Wounded 4 ISF 1 Shooting 2 IEDs 4 Car Bombs     Destroyed

	Oct 1-7	Oct 8-14	Oct 15-21	Oct 22-28	Oct 29-31
Babil	5 Incidents 4 Killed 1 ISF 3 Hashd 8 Wounded 2 ISF 6 Hashd 2 Shootings 1 IED 1 Sticky Bomb    Dismantled 2 Suicide    Bombers    Killed	4 Incidents 6 Wounded 6 Hashd 2 Shootings 3 IEDs	2 Incidents 1 Killed 1 Civilian 2 Wounded 2 Hashd 1 Shooting 1 IED	1 Incident 2 Wounded 2 Hashd 1 IED	1 Incident 3 Wounded 1 ISF 2 Hashd

	Oct 1-7	Oct 8-14	Oct 15-21	Oct 22-28	Oct 29-31
Baghdad	14 Incidents 14 Killed 1 Sahwa 2 Hashd 11 Civilians 46 Wounded 7 Hashd 39 Civilians 5 Shootings 7 IEDs 1 Sticky Bomb 1 Car Bomb	21 Incidents 7 Killed 1 Hashd 6 Civilians 40 Wounded 3 ISF 5 Hashd 32 Civilians 4 Shootings 11 IEDs 1 Sticky Bomb 1 Suicide    Bomber    Arrested	11 Incidents 8 Killed 8 Civilians 24 Wounded 3 ISF 21 Civilians 3 Shootings 7 IEDs 1 Sticky Bomb	23 Incidents 15 Killed 1 ISF 1 Sahwa 2 Hashd 11 Civilians 37 Wounded 2 ISF 2 Sahwa 3 Hashd 30 Civilians 7 Shootings 11 IEDs 1 Sticky Bomb 1 Suicide    Bomber 1 Grenade 1 Suicide    Bomber    Arrested	8 Incidents 4 Killed 4 Civilians 15 Wounded 15 Civilians 1 Shooting 6 IEDs

	Oct 1-7	Oct 8-14	Oct 15-21	Oct 22-28	Oct 29-31
Basra	1 Incident 1 Killed 1 ISF	-	-	1 Incident 1 IED	-

	Oct 1-7	Oct 8-14	Oct 15-21	Oct 22-28	Oct 29-31
Dhi Qar	-	-	1 Incident 1 IED	-	-

	Oct 1-7	Oct 8-14	Oct 15-21	Oct 22-28	Oct 29-31
Diyala	11 Incidents 4 Killed 2 Civilians 2 ISF 8 Wounded 1 Civilian 7 Hashd	-	5 Incidents 12 Killed 12 Civilians 23 Wounded 1 ISF 22 Civilians 3 Shootings 2 IEDs	3 Incidents 4 Killed 2 Civilians 2 Asayesh 3 Shootings	1 Incident

	Oct 1-7	Oct 8-14	Oct 15-21	Oct 22-28	Oct 29-31
Irbil	-	-	-	-	1 Incident

	Oct 1-7	Oct 8-14	Oct 15-21	Oct 22-28	Oct 29-31
KRG	-	-	2 Incidents 5 Killed 5 PKK 5 Wounded 5 Turkish    Soldiers 2 IEDs 1 Turkish Air     Strike	-	-

	Oct 1-7	Oct 8-14	Oct 15-21	Oct 22-28	Oct 29-31
Kirkuk	8 Incidents 3 Killed 3 Civilians 2 Wounded 2 Peshmerga 2 Shootings 1 Mortar 1 Grenade 1 Suicide    Bomber    Killed 5 Car Bombs    Destroyed	11 Incidents 2 Killed 1 Hashd 1 Civilians 3 Wounded 3 Civilians 5 Shootings 1 IED 1 Suicide    Bomber 1 Grenade 1 Rockets	12 Incidents 243 Killed 3 Civilians 4 ISF 117 Peshmerga 119 Hashd 328 Wounded 6 Civilians 10 ISF 150 Hashd 162 Peshmerga 6 Shootings 1 Suicide     Bomber 1 Mortar 3 Suicide     Bombers     Killed	10 Incidents 71 Killed 8 Hashd 10 Civilians 53 ISF 11 Wounded 1 Hashd 10 ISF 3 Shootings 2 Suicide    Bombers    Killed	4 Incidents 2 Killed 2 Civilians 1 IED 8 Suicide     Bombers     Killed

	Oct 1-7	Oct 8-14	Oct 15-21	Oct 22-28	Oct 29-31
Ninewa	13 Incidents 31 Killed 9 Hashd 22 Civilians 19 Wounded 8 Civilians 11 Hashd 2 Shootings 5 IEDs 1 Suicide    Bomber 1 Car Bomb 7 Suicide     Bombers     Killed	13 Incidents 73 Killed 7 ISF 66 Civilians 7 Wounded 3 ISF 4 Civilians 5 Shootings 7 IEDs 1 Rockets	16 Incidents 46 Killed 1 Peshmerga 2 Turkish Soldiers 8 PKK 8 Hashd 9 ISF 18 Civilians 11 Wounded 2 Civilians 2 ISF 3 Turkish     Soldiers 4 Peshmerga 7 Shootings 6 IEDs 2 Suicide     Bombers 1 Turkish Air     Strike 1 Car Bomb     Dismantled	18 Incidents 241 Killed 18 Hashd 21 ISF 25 Peshmerga 177 Civilians 28 Wounded 5 ISF 6 Peshmerga 17 Hashd 4 Shootings 4 IEDs 1 Suicide     Bomber 1 Rockets 1 Suicide     Bomber     Killed	3 Incidents 12 Killed 12 Civilians 1 Wounded 1 Civilian 1 Shooting 3 IEDs

	Oct 1-7	Oct 8-14	Oct 15-21	Oct 22-28	Oct 29-31
Salahaddin	4 Incidents 1 Wounded 1 Hashd 1 Shooting 9 Suicide     Bombers     Killed	10 Incidents 15 Killed 1 Civilian 14 ISF 2 Wounded 2 Civilians 3 Shootings 1 Suicide     Bomber 1 Grenades 1 Mortar 2 Suicide     Bombers     Killed 4 Car Bombs     Destroyed	6 Incidents 5 Killed 5 Civilians 54 Wounded 54 Civilians 1 Shooting 2 Suicide     Bombers     Killed	3 Incidents 2 Shootings 3 Suicide     Bombers     Killed	4 Incidents 2 Killed 2 Civilians 1 IED 8 Suicide    Bombers    Killed

	Oct 1-7	Oct 8-14	Oct 15-21	Oct 22-28	Oct 29-31
Sulaymaniya	-	2 Incidents 1 Killed 1 Peshmerga 2 Wounded 2 Civilians 2 Shootings	-	-	-

Violence By Province October 2017

Province	Violence
Anbar	33 Incidents 47 Killed 1 Hashd 5 ISF 41 Civilians 31 Wounded 4 ISF 27 Civilians 3 Shootings 6 IEDs 1 Car Bomb 2 Grenades 27 Suicide Bombers Killed 2 Suicide Car Bombs Destroyed 17 Car Bombs Destroyed
Babil	13 Incidents 5 Killed 1 ISF 1 Civilian 3 Hashd 21 Wounded 3 ISF 18 Hashd 5 Shootings 6 IEDs 1 Sticky Bomb Dismantled 2 Suicide Bombers Killed
Baghdad	77 Incidents 48 Killed 1 ISF 2 Sahwa 5 Hsahd 40 Civilians 162 Wounded 2 Sahwa 8 ISF 15 Hashd 137 Civilians 20 Shootings 42 IEDs 4 Sticky Bombs 1 Suicide Bomber 1 Car Bomb 1 Grenade 2 Suicide Bombers Arrested
Basra	2 Incidents 1 Killed 1 ISF 1 IED
Dhi Qar	1 Incident 1 IED
Diyala	20 Incidents 20 Killed 2 ISF 2 Asayesh 16 Civilians 31 Wounded 1 ISF 7 Hashd 23 Civilians 12 Shootings 5 IEDs 1 Sticky Bomb 1 Suicide Bomber Killed
Irbil	1 Incident
Karbala	2 Incidents 1 Killed 1 ISF 2 Shootings
Kirkuk	45 Incidents 540 Killed 57 ISF 117 Peshmerga 128 Hashd 238 Civilians 344 Wounded 9 Civilians 20 ISF 153 Hashd 162 Peshmerga 16 Shootings 2 IEDs 2 Suicide Bombers
KRG	2 Incidents 5 Killed 5 PKK 5 Wounded 5 Turkish Soldiers 2 IEDs 1 Turkish Air Strike
Ninewa	63 Incidents 403 Killed 2 Turkish Soldiers 8 PKK 26 Peshmerga 35 Hashd 37 ISF 295 Civilians 66 Wounded 3 Turkish Soldiers 10 Peshmerga 12 Civilians 13 ISF 28 Hashd 19 Shootings 25 IEDs 4 Suicide Bombers 1 Car Bomb 2 Rockets 1 Turkish Air Strike 8 Suicide Bombers Killed 1 Car Bomb Dismantled
Salahaddin	23 Incidents 20 Killed 6 Civilians 14 ISF 57 Wounded 1 Hashd 56 Civilians 7 Shootings 1 Suicide Bomber 1 Grenades 1 Mortar 16 Suicide Bombers Killed 4 Car Bombs Destroyed
Sulaymaniya	4 Incidents 3 Killed 1 Peshmerga 2 Civilians 4 Wounded 4 Civilians 4 Shootings