Security In Iraq, Dec 15-21, 2017

The greatly improved security situation in Iraq continued into the third week of December 2017. There were the fewest recorded security incidents of the year. Casualties were high though due to two mass graves of victims of the Islamic State being discovered in Ninewa.

There were only 49 security incidents reported in the media in Iraq from December 15-21. That was the smallest amount for any full week of 2017. That was also the 19^th straight week with fewer than 100 incidents being recorded.

Ninewa had the most incidents with 13. That was followed by 10 in Baghdad, 9 in Diyala, 8 in Kirkuk, 4 in Anbar, 2 in Irbil and 1 each in Babil, Dohuk and Salahaddin.

Security Incidents In Iraq By Province Dec 15-21, 2017

Babil 1

Dohuk 1

Salahaddin 1

Irbil 2

Anbar 4

Kirkuk 8

Diyala 9

Baghdad 10

Ninewa 13

Those incidents led to a total of 144 deaths and 27 wounded. 1 Peshmerga, 4 Hashd al-Shaabi, 6 Turkish soldiers, 10 members of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), and 123 civilians lost their lives. Another 1 Turkish soldier, 1 Peshmerga, 3 Hashd, 5 ISF, and 17 civilians were injured. 1 of those was in Dohuk, 1 in Salahaddin, 4 in Kirkuk, 6 in Irbil, 8 in Anbar, 13 in Diyala, 18 in Baghdad, and 120 in Ninewa.

Casualties In Iraq By Province Dec 15-21, 2017

Dohuk 1 (1 Wounded)

Salahaddin 1 (1 Wounded)

Kirkuk 4 (3 Killed, 1 Wounded)

Irbil 6 (6 Killed)

Anbar 8 (5 Killed, 3 Wounded)

Diyala 13 (8 Killed, 5 Wounded)

Baghdad 18 (4 Killed, 14 Wounded)

Ninewa 120 (118 Killed, 2 Wounded)

Anbar witnessed just four incidents during the week. There was a gun battle with insurgents in the Baghdadi district and rocket fire from Syria into the Qaim area in the west. Several bodies were found shot and stabbed in the west as well. The border region has been a concern of the Iraqi forces lately. There are still Islamic State elements operating there, and they have also been attacking from Syria.

There were only 10 incidents in Baghdad as security remains the best it has been in the province since 2003. 3 of the incidents were shootings, and the other 7 IEDs and sticky bombs showing the low level of violence.

Diyala is one of the province where IS is rebuilding. Attacks have been down there however since the summer. During the week there were 9 incidents. Most were small scale shootings and IEDs.

Kirkuk has seen a mix of insurgent and political violence. 7 of the 8 incidents occurred inside Kirkuk city. That included an attack upon the Turkmen Front office. That party has been targeted several times in the province since federal forces moved into Kirkuk and other disputed areas.

Turkish forces continued to be attacked in Kurdistan. 6 Turkish soldiers were killed in Irbil, and one wounded in Dohuk in shootings and IEDs laid by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Ankara has been bombing and shelling Kurdistan nearly every week for months now. The PKK has recently been striking back.

Militants are also active in Ninewa. There were 6 incidents inside Mosul including a suicide bomber who killed himself when he was discovered. Another was when insurgents had a running gun battle with the security forces through three neighborhoods. Two mass graves were also found in Sinjar with a total of 110 bodies.

Attacks in Salahaddin have gone up and down since the summer. There was just one incident from December 15-21. This is despite the fact that IS is still moving around in the rural and mountainous areas of the governorate.

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	64	84
Oct 8-14	72	133	85
Oct 15-21	60	321	449
Oct 22-28	65	372	222 + 1,700
Oct 29-31	25	23	25
OCT	286	913	865 + 1,700
Nov 1-7	72	135	97
Nov 8-14	62	445	64
Nov 15-21	79	138	159
Nov 22-28	59	149	76
Nov 29-30	24	415	29
NOV	296	1,282	425
Dec 1-7	59	252	61
Dec 8-14	56	135	115
Dec 15-21	49	144	27

Violence By Province Dec 15-21, 2017

Province	Violence
Anbar	4 Incidents 5 Killed 5 Civilians 3 Wounded 3 ISF 2 Shootings 1 Rocket
Babil	1 Incident 1 IED Dismantled
Baghdad	10 Incidents 4 Killed 1 Hashd 3 Civilians 14 Wounded 3 Hashd 11 Civilians 3 Shootings 5 IEDs 2 Sticky Bombs
Diyala	9 Incidents 8 Killed 2 Civilians 3 ISF 3 Hashd 5 Wounded 1 Peshmerga 4 Civilians 4 Shootings 2 IEDs
Dohuk	1 Incident 1 Wounded 1 Turkish Soldier 1 IED
Irbil	2 Incidents 6 Killed 6 Turkish Soldiers 2 Shootings
Kirkuk	8 Incidents 3 Killed 1 ISF 2 Civilians 1 Wounded 1 ISF 2 Shootings 1 IED 1 Mortar 1 Grenade 3 Rockets
Ninewa	13 Incidents 118 Killed 1 Peshmerga 6 ISF 111 Civilians 2 Wounded 1 ISF 1 Civilian 7 Shootings 2 IEDs 1 Suicide Bomber 1 Suicide Bomber Killed
Salahaddin	1 Incident 1 Wounded 1 Civilian 1 Mortar

SOURCES

Baghdad Post, "3 Iraqi soldiers injured in attack near Syria border," 12/20/17

- "Exclusive 3 mass graves found in western Mosul," 12/21/17

Bas News, "Hashd Al-Shaabi Attacked by Unknown Gunmen in Pirde, SE Erbil," 12/19/17

- "IS Militants Infiltrate 3 Neighborhoods in Mosul, Kill 2 Policemen," 12/21/17

Ebraheem, Mohammed, "Suicide bomber killed before blowing himself up outside Mosul house," Iraqi News, 12/17/17

Al Ghad Press, "Six Turkish soldiers killed,” 12/15/17

- "Two tombs of Yazidis were found west Ninewa," 12/16/17

-  "A Turkish intelligence agent was injured in Amadiya in Dohuk," 12/15/17

Iraq Newspaper, "Iraqi Newspaper: Bloody battles between the 7th Brigade of the popular crowd and elements of Dash in the village of Mahboubhe in Anbar," 12/16/17

NINA, "An Attack on the headquarters of the Turkmen Front in Kirkuk and the arrest of the attackers," 12/16/17

-  Three people from one family killed west of Anbar," 12/15/17

- "Two other bodies were found west of Anbar," 12/15/17