Security In Iraq, Jan 8-14, 2018

The number of security incidents remained low for the second week of January 2018. There were very few attacks and casualties. The week did see the return of mass casualty bombings by the Islamic State.

There were 64 incidents recorded in Iraq from January 8-14. That was down from 71 the first week of the year. There was 1 incident in Anbar, 2 in Sulaymaniya, 3 in Babil, 7 in Ninewa, 8 in Diyala, 9 in Salahaddin, 10 in Kirkuk, and 24 in Baghdad. Starting in August 2017 there has been less than 100 incidents each week.

Security Incidents In Iraq By Province Jan 8-14, 2018

Anbar 1

Sulaymaniya 2

Babil 3

Ninewa 7

Diyala 8

Salahaddin 9

Kirkuk 10

Baghdad 24

Casualties In Iraq By Province Jan 8-14, 2018

Babil 4 (1 Killed, 3 Wounded)

Sulaymaniya 5 (2 Killed, 3 Wounded)

Anbar 7 (7 Wounded)

Diyala 8 (6 Killed, 2 Wounded)

Kirkuk 10 (6 Killed, 4 Wounded)

Salahaddin 17 (4 Killed, 13 Wounded)

Ninewa 22 (21 Killed, 1 Wounded)

Baghdad 59 (22 Killed, 37 Wounded)

A total of 62 people were killed and 70 were wounded. 20 of the dead were found in a mass grave in Ninewa, leaving just 42 violent deaths during the week. 3 members of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), 3 Hashd, and 56 civilians lost their lives, while 2 ISF, 8 Hashd, and 60 civilians were injured. 4 casualties occurred in Babil, 5 in Sulaymaniya, 7 in Anbar, 8 in Diyala, 10 in Kirkuk, 17 in Salahaddin, 22 in Ninewa, and 59 in Baghdad.

There was only one incident reported in Anbar. That was when an IED that went off near a soccer field in Hit, in the center of the province leaving 7 people wounded. The Islamic State is said to still be operating along the border, which led to a new security operation near Saudi Arabia.

Like usual, the few incidents in Babil were in the north. There were two shootings and an IED in Jurf al-Sakhr. Since the summer of 2017, IS has once again been infiltrating into the Jurf al-Sakhr district and the neighboring ones to carry out weekly attacks. They are still very few incidents, but it does mark a change in situation in the governorate.

Since the start of 2018 there has been a slight spike in violence in Baghdad. The first week of the year saw the most incidents since July. The second week there were basically the same number of incidents going from 26 January 1-7 to 24 January 8-14. There was also a suicide bombing in the north that targeting the convoy of the head of the provincial council. That last time there was a successful suicide attack in the capital was during the fourth week of November.

The Islamic State continued attacks throughout Diyala. There were 8 total leaving 6 dead and 2 wounded. That included a car bomb that was discovered in Muqtadiya during a security sweep in the district. Al Sumaria reported that five villages in Qara Tappa in the north were abandoned because IS fighters were moving through the area coming from the Hamrin Mountain range. Security forces also mounted an operation in the north. Diyala is one of the areas where IS is attempting a comeback, and the location of their attacks show that they are active in nearly every region.

The last few months Kirkuk has witnessed growing instability. IS is still carrying out operations in the province, but there is also political violence especially in Kirkuk city. During the week, 8 of the 10 incidents occurred in the city. That included grenade attacks upon a tribal office and a reporter’s home. There was also a gun battle in the south that left 6 Hashd casualties.

The aftermath of the Islamic State’s rule in Ninewa is being discovered nearly every week. This time a mass grave with 20 women who were tortured and killed was found within Mosul. The Civil Defense Department announced that it had finished its work in the city recovering roughly 2,500 bodies from the rubble. There was sporadic violence going on within the city, as well as two shoot outs with the insurgents in Qayara in the south. The Hashd sent reinforcements to the Sinjar district to try to counter IS infiltration coming from Syria. 500 dismissed police also marched in Mosul demanding their jobs back on Police Day. Abadi got rid of most of the police in the province after the IS take over in 2014. Some have been brought back, but the governorate still needs several thousand officers. Baghdad claims it is training a completely new force, but things appear to be going slowly.

Salahaddin is the other province witnessing an IS revival. There were two gun fights with insurgents in the Baiji district. An official from the district said Baiji city is uninhabitable because 70% of the buildings were destroyed, there were no services, and there were thousands of IEDs still around. He warned against the government sending people back to the area for political reasons to hold this year’s election. So far, several hundred people have gone back to the district, but there have been no reports of anyone in the city itself. Another problem area is Meteibija, which witnessed a new sweep through the area by the security forces. Finally, Tuz Kharmato continued to see sporadic violence. During the week for example, there were four attacks there including two shelling incidents by mortars. That led Baghdad to send in federal forces to take over security form the Hashd, and conduct clearing operations. In October, the Peshmerga withdrew from the district leading to killings, looting, and the destruction of buildings by the Hashd and local Turkmen.

Parliament agreed to create a committee to investigate what happened during that period. Usually these investigations are for show and nothing comes of them as the government does not hold itself accountable.

Security In Iraq 2017-18

Week	Security Incidents	Dead	Wounded
JAN	719	1,923	4,374
FEB	628	1,891 + 399	2,511 + 1,634
MAR	720	3,504 + 278	3,302 + 2,925
APR	578	2,933	1,955
MAY	528	2,038	1,563
JUN	534	2,038	1,563
JUL	478	1,490	650
AUG	359	1,949	584
SEP	306	728	549
OCT	286	913	865 + 1,700
NOV	296	1,282	425
DEC	261	763	300
Jan 1-7	71	50	66
Jan 8-14	64	62	70

Violence By Province Jan 8-14, 2018

Province	Violence
Anbar	1 Incident 7 Wounded 7 Civilians 1 IED
Babil	3 Incidents 1 Killed 1 Civilian 3 Wounded 1 Civilian 2 Hashd 2 Shootings 1 IED
Baghdad	24 Incidents 22 Killed 1 Hashd 21 Civilians 37 Wounded 2 Hashd 35 Civilians 7 Shootings 10 IEDs 2 Sticky Bombs 1 Suicide Bomber
Diyala	8 Incidents 6 Killed 2 ISF 4 Civilians 2 Wounded 2 Civilians 2 Shootings 7 IEDs 1 Mortar 1 Car Bomb Dismantled
Kirkuk	10 Incidents 6 Killed 2 Hashd 4 Civilians 4 Wounded 4 Hashd 3 Shootings 1 IED 1 Suicide Bomber 3 Grenades
Kirkuk	10 Incidents 6 Killed 2 Hashd 4 Civilians 4 Wounded 4 Hashd 3 Shootings 1 IED 1 Suicide Bomber 3 Grenades
Ninewa	7 Incidents 21 Killed 21 Civilians 1 Wounded 1 Civilian 2 Shootings 2 IEDs
Salahaddin	9 Incidents 4 Killed 1 ISF 3 Civilians 13 Wounded 2 ISF 11 Civilians 3 Shootings 3 IEDs 2 Mortars 3 Suicide Bombers Killed
Sulaymaniya	2 Incidents 2 Killed 2 Civilians 3 Wounded 3 Civilians 2 Shootings

SOURCES

Baghdad Post, “Civil Defense completes recovery of bodies under rubble in Mosul,” 1/12/18

- "Civilian injured as mortar shell hits Tuz Khurmatu," 1/9/18

- "Headquarters of Body of Arab Tribes in Kirkuk attacked," 1/8/18

Al Baghdadiya News, “Federal forces arrive in Tuz Kharmato to take over security tasks,” 1/10/18

Bas News, "Kirkuk: Reuters Photographer Attacked in Kirkuk," 1/13/18

- "A second attack was directed at the security forces south of Qayara area," 1/10/18

Ebraheem, Mohammed, "Iraqi troops destroy four Islamic State armored vehicles, seize three others in Anbar," Iraqi News, 1/10/18

Al Ghad Press, "A bomb explodes in Tuz Kharmato and then a second one reveals its manufacturing," 1/8/18

- "Defense: Samarra operations continue to search and clear Meteibija," 1/11/18

- "Military Intelligence detonates a car bomb and destroys four terrorist bombs in Salahaddin," 1/11/18

Hath Al-Youm, “Baiji official: Members of the crowd are infected with diseases and epidemics,” 1/13/18

Iraq Newspaper, "Two Members Of The Popular Crowd Were Killed And Four Others Were Wounded By Gunfire In The Village Of Safra, West of Riyad, Southwest Kirkuk," 1/14/18

Khabaar, “The popular crowd is deploying new fighters to protect the Sinjar border with Syria and refuses to reveal their operation,” 1/10/18

Al Maalomah, “Ninewa deputy: dormant cells have resumed activity in the province,” 1/11/18

- "The popular crowd foils an attack on Siniya west of Baiji," 1/13/18

- "The popular crowd repulsed an attack near Baiji," 1/14/18

Mostafa, Mohamed, "UPDATED: MP says 2 citizens killed, tens wounded in Tuz Khurmatu shelling," Iraqi News, 1/8/18

Mostafa, Nehal, "Relics of 20 tortured women, executed by IS, found in mass grave in Mosul," Iraqi News, 1/8/18

NINA, "The assassination of a judicial investigator in the Federal Court of Appeal in Babil," 1/11/18

- "A judicial investigator injured in an armed attack north of Babylon," 1/9/18

- "A Military Operation To Track Daesh Cells North Of Baquba," 1/8/18

- "Two members of the popular crowd injured in a bomb explosion north of Babylon," 1/14/18

Al Noor News, "Assassination attempt on head of Hit district council in stadium west Anbar," 1/11/18

Rudaw, "Explosion targets convoy of head of Baghdad Provincial Council, kills 8," 1/13/18

- “Iraq parliament forms committee to investigate Khurmatu violence,” 1/8/18

- “Tuz Khurmatu council ousts Kurdish mayor despite missing members,” 1/10/18

Shafaaq News, “Hundreds of police are demonstrating in Mosul,” 1/9/18

Al Sumaria, “Daash ends life in five villages south of Qara Tappa and turns it into a desert,” 1/10/18

Xinhua, "12 wounded in mortar barrage on ethnically-mixed city in central Iraq," 1/8/18

- "Iraqi forces launch operation to restore security in ethnically-mixed city," 1/13/18