Security In Iraq, Jun 15-21, 2018

The Islamic State’s attempt to rebuild the insurgency continued to ebb and flow. After a large number of incidents the second week of June things calmed down the next week. The major area of violence was actually in northern Kurdistan where Turkey was still bombing the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). IS did unleash a new wave of kidnappings across Diyala, Kirkuk, and Salahaddin.

There were only 42 incidents in Iraq reported from June 15-21. That was the third lowest amount for any week of the year. Salahaddin with 11 incidents was the only province with double figures in incidents.

Security Incidents In Iraq By Province Jun 15-21, 2018

Basra 1

Babil 2

Baghdad 2

Ninewa 2

Anbar 5

Kirkuk 5

Kurdistan 5

Diyala 9

Salahaddin 11

Casualties In Iraq By Province Jun 15-21, 2018

Baghdad 1 (1 Killed)

Basra 1 (1 Killed)

Anbar 2 (1 Killed, 1 Wounded)

Babil 3 (1 Killed, 2 Wounded)

Kirkuk 4 (2 Killed, 2 Wounded)

Diyala 10 (6 Killed, 4 Wounded)

Ninewa 11 (5 Killed, 6 Wounded)

Salahaddin 16 (12 Killed, 4 Wounded)

Kurdistan 54 (54 Killed)

83 were killed and 19 wounded during the week. 3 Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), 4 Hashd al-Shaabi, 22 civilians, and 54 PKK died and 2 ISF, 6 Hashd, and 11 civilians were injured. More than half the deaths took place in norther Kurdistan where the 54 PKK lost their lives.

Anbar remained relatively quiet. There were 5 incidents there. The Islamic State carried out a kidnapping in Rutba, which was the new tactic that the militants unleashed during the week.

Likewise, there are only occasional attacks in Babil. There were two during the week with a passport official being killed and two workers of the Industry Ministry being wounded by an IED. The provincial security committee did note an uptick in IS activity recently.

There were only 2 incidents in Baghdad. That was probably the fewest incidents since the 2003 invasion. At the start of the year IS unleashed a terrorist campaign in the capital, but that has since subsided and violence has drastically fallen off as a result.

In Basra a Hashd intelligence officer was shot and killed in what was likely political violence.

The three areas where IS is rebuilding are in Diyala, Kirkuk and Salahaddin. In Diyala, there were six gun battles with insurgents, a sheikh was assassinated, and 7 people were kidnapped at a fake checkpoint. In Kirkuk, IS abducted two more people. Finally, in Salahaddin the militants took another 42 people including 30 from the Shammar tribe and killed 6 of them. They also attacked a motorcade of a police chief and fought the Hashd. The previous two weeks IS was burning fields to intimidate farmers and get them to pay taxes. This week they were kidnapping people across central Iraq. The point of both tactics was the same, to regain control of the rural areas of these provinces.

Turkish forces were advancing upon the Qandil Mountains which has been the traditional base of the PKK in Kurdistan. This is the largest operation Ankara has launched in years, and comes right before elections in Turkey.

Security In Iraq 2017-18

Week	Security Incidents	Dead	Wounded
JAN 2017	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
Jan 15-21	68	156	151
Jan 22-28	68	148	66
Jan 29-31	27	23	22
JAN 2018	298	439 (218 Violent Deaths)	375
Feb 1-7	66	196	67
Feb 8-14	65	63	93
Feb 15-21	59	346	43
Feb 22-28	55	44	72
FEB	245	649 (233 Violent Deaths)	275
Mar 1-7	78	120	84
Mar 8-14	60	84	61
Mar 15-21	67	168	98
Mar 22-28	81	213	61
Mar 29-31	21	26	35
MAR	307	611 (466 Violent Deaths)	339
Apr 1-7	40	174	29
Apr 8-14	64	175	83
Apr 15-21	44	63	72
Apr 22-28	44	62	48
Apr 29-30	12	12	4
APR	204	486 (240 Violent Deaths)	236
May 1-7	51	57	56
May 8-14	56	68	49
May 15-21	39	58	82
May 22-28	51	73	51
May 29-31	21	42	15
MAY	218	298 (273 Violent Deaths)	253
Jun 1-7	55	100	32
Jun 8-14	72	108	88
Jun 15-21	42	83	19

Violence By Province Jun 15-21, 2018

Province	Violence
Anbar	5 Incidents 1 Killed 1 Civilian 1 Wounded 1 Civilian 2 Shootings 1 IED
Babil	2 Incidents 1 Killed 1 Civilian 2 Wounded 2 Civilians 1 Shooting 1 IED
Baghdad	2 Incidents 1 Killed 1 Civilian
Basra	1 Incident 1 Killed 1 Hashd 1 Shooting
Diyala	9 Incidents 6 Killed 1 ISF 1 Hashd 4 Civilians 4 Wounded 1 Civilian 3 Hashd 8 Shootings 1 Sticky Bomb
Kirkuk	5 Incidents 2 Killed 2 ISF 2 Wounded 2 ISF 1 Shooting 2 IEDs
Kurdistan	5 Incidents 54 Killed 54 PKK 5 Turkish Soldiers
Ninewa	2 Incidents 5 Killed 5 Civilians 6 Wounded 6 Civilians 2 Shootings
Salahaddin	11 Incidents 12 Killed 2 Hashd 10 Civilians 4 Wounded 1 Civilian 3 Hashd 5 Shootings 3 IEDs

SOURCES

Baghdad Post, “Activities of ISIS terrorists in northern Babel are on the rise: reports,” 6/16/18

- "ISIS kidnaps 3 civilians in Anbar," 6/19/18

- "ISIS kidnaps five civilians in northwestern Salahuddin," 6/20/18

- "Security forces thwart 2 ISIS attacks in Baqubah," 6/15/18

- "Six civilians, kidnapped by ISIS, found dead in Salahuddin," 6/18/18

Channel News Asia, "Turkish military says killed 10 Kurdish militants in northern Iraq," 6/20/18

Ebraheem, Mohammed, "Islamic State kidnaps farmer after storming village in Iraq," Iraqi News, 6/20/18

Al Forat, "The assassination of a Kurdish tribal leader and his wife in Khanaqin," 6/17/18

- "Turkish army announced the neutralization of 9 gunmen from the PKK in northern Iraq," 6/21/18

Al Ghad Press, "The assassination of the director of passports of Babil in central Hillah," 6/21/18

- "Four members of the crowd were killed and wounded in a Daash attack north-east Diyala," 6/15/18

- "Police foil a Daash attack south of Baquba," 6/15/18

Goran, Baxtiyar, "Two killed, seven kidnapped at fake security checkpoint in Diyala," Kurdistan 24, 6/18/18

Iraq Newspaper, "Battles Between The Popular Crowd And The Terrorists In Diyala And Salahaddin," 6/15/18

Al Maalomah, "Baghdad Operations announce the release of a kidnapped and the arrest of a hijacker south of the capital," 6/19/18

- "Security forces found the body of an unidentified man northeast Baghdad," 6/19/18

Mostafa, Nehal, "Policeman killed, Islamic State attack foiled, northeast of Baquba," Iraqi News, 6/19/18

NINA, "Daesh Kidnap 2 Sheep-Watchers Near Hawija, 6/19/18

- "The PMF Thwart An Attack To Daesh In Naft Khana Sector, Northeast Of Baquba," 6/20/18

- "Two Employees of the Ministry of Industry Injured When a Bomb Exploded North of Babylon," 6/21/18

Reuters, "Turkey says its air strikes kill 35 Kurdish militants in northern Iraq," 6/17/18

Rudaw, "The assassination of an official in the popular crowd in the province of Basra," 6/15/18

Sotaliraq, "Two bombs targeting convoy of Iraqi security official," 6/15/18

Al Sumaria, "Chairman of the Salahaddin Council: armed Daesh kidnapped 30 civilians and deployed in the island area," 6/18/18