 |
| (Baghdad Post) |
In April the Islamic State announced its latest spring-summer campaign the Revenge of the Levant after the loss of its last territory in Syria. Things started slowly that month, but they were in full swing by May with the highest number of attacks since October 2018.
There were 137 incidents recorded in May with 136 of them by
the Islamic State. The one exception was when a pro-Iranian group fired
a rocket at the Green Zone as tensions between the U.S. and Iran increased.
This was the highest monthly total since 171 in October 2018. Diyala and Kirkuk
with 35 each led the country during the month. Anbar was the only province
where violence went down, while attacks were flat in Babil and Baghdad.
Security
Incidents In Iraq By Province
Province
|
May 1-7
|
May 8-14
|
May 15-21
|
May 22-28
|
May 29-31
|
TOTALS
|
Anbar
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
5
|
-
|
8
|
Babil
|
1
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
3
|
Baghdad
|
-
|
2
|
4/3
|
3
|
2
|
11
|
Diyala
|
5
|
4
|
17
|
8
|
1
|
35
|
Kirkuk
|
3
|
7
|
8
|
8
|
9
|
35
|
Ninewa
|
3
|
7
|
5
|
9
|
-
|
25
|
Salahaddin
|
4
|
3
|
3
|
10
|
-
|
20
|
TOTALS
|
18
|
24
|
37/36
|
43
|
13
|
137
|
Casualties
In Iraq By Province
Province
|
May 1-7
|
May 8-14
|
May 15-21
|
May 22-28
|
May 29-31
|
Anbar
|
2
(1K, 1W)
|
-
|
-
|
13
(7K, 6W)
|
-
|
Babil
|
2
(2W)
|
3
(3W)
|
-
|
-
|
2
(2K)
|
Baghdad
|
-
|
23
(9K, 14W)
|
2
(2K)
|
3
(3K)
|
2
(2K)
|
Diyala
|
5
(2K, 3w)
|
5
(3K, 2W)
|
37
(10K, 27W)
|
7
(1K, 6W)
|
10
(6K, 4W)
|
Kirkuk
|
11
(5K, 6W)
|
12
(4K, 8W)
|
15
(9K, 6W)
|
19
(5K, 14W)
|
50
(6K, 44W)
|
Ninewa
|
8
(6K, 2W)
|
20
(10K, 10W)
|
47
(41K, 6W)
|
15
(7K, 8W)
|
-
|
Salahaddin
|
5
(1K, 4W)
|
9
(5K, 4W)
|
-
|
36
(16K, 20 W)
|
-
|
TOTALS
|
33 (15K, 18W)
|
72 (31K, 41W)
|
101 (62K, 39W)
|
93 (39K, 54W)
|
64 (16K, 48W)
|
There were 163 deaths and 200 people wounded in May. That
included 35 Yazidis found in a mass grave in the Sinjar district of western
Ninewa. In total, 1 Peshmerga, 18 Hashd al-Shaabi, 23 Iraq Security Forces
(ISF), and 121 civilians lost their lives and 37 ISF, 43 Hashd, and 120 civilians
were injured. Kirkuk with 29 dead and 78 wounded had the most casualties during
the week.
Anbar saw a decrease in violence with 16 incidents in April
and only 8 in May. However, that included two car bombs
in the west. The last vehicle bomb in Anbar occurred in the first week of
April.
There were 3 incidents in Babil in April and 3 again in May. Two of
those occurred in Jurf al-Sakhr in the northeast and one in Mahawil in the
center. This province is largely a forgotten front. When IS does attack it’s
almost always in Jurf al-Sakhr, which is accessible from Anbar. The district
was emptied of people who have not been allowed to return since then because it
is along the main highways pilgrims use to go to Najaf and Karbala. It is now a
military base for the Hashd, which is why IS usually strikes there.
Violence was flat in Baghdad with 10 incidents in May and 10
in April. IS has largely forgotten about the capital as it rebuilds. The group
may be trying to return to the province however. A car
bomb was discovered and dismantled in the west. There also might have been
a suicide
bombing in Sadr City during the month, but that was disputed. Returning to
the urban centers is the Islamic State’s ultimate goal. That’s where the money
is and how it can challenge the government so it eventually has to make a
comeback in Baghdad.
Diyala is where IS has its strongest presence. It never
seized any territory there in 2014 so it was the first place the militants
reverted back to an insurgency. It has been rebuilding there ever since and now
has access to all of the rural areas in the province. It has expanded northward
into the Khanaqin district since the federal government took over the disputed
areas from the Kurds. That’s because it does not have the forces to adequately
secure those areas. 14 of the 35 attacks during the month were in Khanaqin. 35
was also the most incidents in Diyala since 35 in October 2018. Because of the
Islamists’ strength there it was one of the first places Revenge of the Levant
began with attacks going from 17 in March to 30 in April.
Kirkuk also had 35 incidents. That was up from 13 the month
before. It was
the site of the largest
attack
of the month
when 6 IEDs went off in Kirkuk city with another two being defused before they
could explode. That left 5 dead and 35 wounded. Kirkuk is one of the urban
centers that IS still has regular access to.
Like Diyala, the new IS campaign started in April in Ninewa.
There were 11 attacks in March, climbing to 19 in April and 25 in May. The
insurgents were able to set off two
motorcycle
bombs in Mosul, and a truck bomb
hit a market in the Rabia district in the west along the Syrian border. IS is
active in the west and south of Mosul and still has elements in Mosul as well.
Salahaddin saw a large jump in incidents as well. There were
8 in March, 8 in April, and then 20 in May.
That included two
attacks
upon the Alas
oil field in on week, both resulting in large gun battles.
The biggest story was the fires the Islamic State set in
fields across central Iraq. This happened in one farm in Baghdad, 9 in Diyala,
13 in Kirkuk, 5 in Ninewa, and 5 in Salahaddin for a total of 33. IS used the
blazes to intimidate farmers to pay taxes to them and to also drive people out
of their towns so that the militants could use them as bases. There were far
more fires that were the result of a mix of accidents, the start of the hot
season, and local disputes over land.
Islamic
State Activity in Iraq 2018-19
Anbar
|
Shootings
(Totals)
|
IEDs/
Sticky Bombs
(Totals)
|
Gun Battles
|
Attacks on Checkpoints
|
Attacks on Mukhtars/
Sheikhs
|
Kidnappings
|
Suicide Bombers
|
Car Bombs
|
2018
Totals
|
45
|
67
|
13
|
4
|
6
|
5
|
7
|
3
|
Jan 2019
|
6
|
4
|
1
|
-
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
Feb
|
10
|
11
|
4
|
1
|
1
|
4
|
-
|
-
|
Mar
|
2
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Apr
|
1
|
8
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
1
|
May
|
3
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
2
|
2019
Totals
|
21
|
27
|
6
|
1
|
4
|
6
|
1
|
4
|
Diyala
|
Shootings
(Totals)
|
IEDs/
Sticky Bombs
(Totals)
|
Gun Battles
|
Attacks on Checkpoints
|
Attacks on Mukhtars/
Sheikhs
|
Kidnappings
|
Attacks on Towns
|
Suicide Bombers
|
Car Bombs
|
2018
Totals
|
219
|
198
|
47
|
43
|
5
|
13
|
25
|
3
|
1
|
Jan 2019
|
21
|
2
|
3
|
8
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
Feb
|
18
|
2
|
5
|
7
|
-
|
-
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
Mar
|
7
|
6
|
1
|
2
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Apr
|
13
|
15
|
2
|
4
|
1
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
May
|
11
|
13
|
3
|
5
|
-
|
-
|
13
(9 Farms Burned)
|
-
|
-
|
2019
Totals
|
70
|
38
|
14
|
26
|
1
|
-
|
18
|
-
|
-
|
Kirkuk
|
Shootings
(Totals)
|
IEDs/
Sticky Bombs
(Totals)
|
Gun Battles
|
Attacks on Checkpoints
|
Attacks on Mukhtars/
Sheikhs
|
Kidnappings
|
Attacks on Towns
|
Suicide Bombers
|
Car Bombs
|
2018
Totals
|
172
|
182
|
39
|
18
|
10
|
14
|
29
|
9
|
6
|
Jan 2019
|
8
|
17
|
-
|
4
|
2
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
Feb
|
9
|
5
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
2
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
Mar
|
5
|
11
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
-
|
2
|
-
|
-
|
Apr
|
5
|
9
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
May
|
11
|
18
|
2
|
3
|
1
|
-
|
13
(13 Farms Burned)
|
-
|
-
|
2019
Totals
|
38
|
60
|
10
|
8
|
5
|
5
|
16
|
-
|
1
|
Ninewa
|
Shootings
(Totals)
|
IEDs/
Sticky Bombs
(Totals)
|
Gun Battles
|
Attacks on Checkpoints
|
Attacks on Mukhtars/
Sheikhs
|
Kidnappings
|
Attacks on Towns
|
Suicide Bombers
|
Car Bombs
|
2018
Totals
|
139
|
74
|
43
|
7
|
5
|
6
|
6
|
2
|
3
|
Jan 2019
|
6
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Feb
|
8
|
3
|
2
|
2
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
1
|
Mar
|
6
|
1
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
1
|
Apr
|
6
|
6
|
1
|
-
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
-
|
-
|
May
|
8
|
8
|
1
|
-
|
1
|
2
|
6
(5 Farms Burned)
|
-
|
1
|
2019
Totals
|
34
|
18
|
7
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
10
|
-
|
3
|
Salahaddin
|
Shootings
(Totals)
|
IEDs/
Sticky Bombs
(Totals)
|
Gun Battles
|
Attacks on Checkpoints
|
Attacks on Mukhtars/
Sheikhs
|
Kidnappings
|
Attacks on Towns
|
Suicide Bombers
|
Car Bombs
|
2018
Totals
|
110
|
102
|
41
|
18
|
1
|
16
|
4
|
9
|
5
|
Jan 2019
|
5
|
5
|
3
|
1
|
-
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
Feb
|
7
|
11
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
-
|
Mar
|
3
|
5
|
2
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
Apr
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
May
|
8
|
6
|
4
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
6
(5 Farms
Burned)
|
-
|
-
|
2019
Totals
|
25
|
29
|
13
|
2
|
-
|
5
|
7
|
1
|
3
|
(Gun Battles, Attacks on
Checkpoints, Attacks on Mukhtars, Attacks on Towns are all subsets of the total
number of shootings and IEDs/Sticky Bombs reported)
Suicide-Car
Bombs In Iraq 2018-19
Month
|
Suicide Bombers
|
Car Bombs
|
Totals
|
Jan
|
7
(1- Diyala,
3 – Baghdad/Baghdad,
3 - Kirkuk)
|
6
(1- Anbar,
1 – Diyala,
1 – Kirkuk,
1 – Salahaddin,
2 - Babil)
|
13
|
Feb
|
4
(1 – Anbar/Ramadi
1 – Diyala
1 – Kirkuk
1 - Ninewa)
|
-
|
4
|
Mar
|
2
(1 – Kirkuk/Kirkuk
1 - Salahaddin)
|
1
(1 – Kirkuk)
|
3
|
Apr
|
4
(1 - Salahaddin
3 – Anbar)
|
1
(1 – Kirkuk/Kirkuk) |
5
|
May
|
8
(1 – Diyala
1 - Salahaddin)
2 – Baghdad/1 - Baghdad
4 - Kirkuk)
|
-
|
8
|
Jun
|
1
(1 – Salahaddin/Tikrit) |
1
|
|
Jul
|
1
(1 – Salahaddin/Tikrit)
|
1
(1 – Kirkuk/Kirkuk)
|
2
|
Aug
|
1
(1 – Salahaddin)
|
2
(1 – Anbar,
1 – Kirkuk)
|
3
|
Sep
|
6
(1 – Ninewa)
2 – Anbar
3 – Salahaddin)
|
2
(1 – Kirkuk
1 – Salahaddin)
|
8
|
Oct
|
2
(1 – Anbar/Fallujah
1 – Salahaddin)
|
3
(1 – Anbar/Fallujah
1 – Kirkuk/Kirkuk
1 - Ninewa)
|
5
|
Nov
|
-
|
3
(1 – Ninewa/Mosul
2 – Salahaddin/Tikrit)
|
3
|
Dec
|
-
|
1
(1 – Ninewa)
|
1
|
Jan
|
1
(1 – Anbar)
|
3
(1 – Anbar
1 – Kirkuk
1 – Salahaddin/Tikrit)
|
4
|
Feb
|
1
(1 – Salahaddin)
|
1
(1 – Ninewa/Mosul)
|
2
|
Mar
|
-
|
1
(1 – Ninewa/Mosul)
|
1
|
Apr
|
-
|
2
(1 – Anbar
1 - Salahaddin)
|
2
|
May
|
1
(1 – Baghdad)
|
3
(2 – Anbar
1 – Ninewa)
|
4
|
Security In Iraq 2018-19
Week
|
Security
Incidents
(Total/By IS)
|
Dead
(Total/By IS)
|
Wounded
(Total/By IS)
|
Jan 1-7
|
62/60
|
45
|
63
|
Jan 8-14
|
58/56
|
58/56
|
66/63
|
Jan 15-21
|
62/59
|
151
|
151
|
Jan 22-28
|
59/51
|
140/136
|
65/63
|
Jan 29-31
|
24
|
21
|
21
|
JAN 2018
|
265/
250 by IS
|
417/
409 by IS
(196 Violent Deaths)
|
366/
361 by IS
|
Feb 1-7
|
58/56
|
192/141
|
62/60
|
Feb 8-14
|
57
|
58
|
91
|
Feb 15-21
|
53/52
|
343
|
43
|
Feb 22-28
|
46/44
|
38/37
|
70/68
|
FEB
|
214/
209 by IS
|
631/
579 by IS
(215 Violent Deaths)
|
266/
262 by IS
|
Mar 1-7
|
68/64
|
115/108
|
79/77
|
Mar 8-14
|
52
|
75
|
59
|
Mar 15-21
|
64/59
|
165/119
|
98
|
Mar 22-28
|
77/64
|
210/87
|
61/60
|
Mar 29-31
|
19/18
|
26/25
|
34
|
MAR
|
280/
257 by IS
|
591/
414 by IS
(446 Violent Deaths)
|
331/
328 by IS
|
Apr 1-7
|
38/34
|
172/140
|
27/25
|
Apr 8-14
|
60/52
|
173/136
|
81/72
|
Apr 15-21
|
43/35
|
63/18
|
72/70
|
Apr 22-28
|
40/31
|
60/30
|
39/33
|
Apr 29-30
|
12/11
|
14/11
|
4
|
APR
|
193/
163 by IS
|
482/
335 by IS
(236 Violent Deaths)
|
223/
204 by IS
|
May 1-7
|
45/39
|
52/43
|
55/54
|
May 8-14
|
55/51
|
68/46
|
49
|
May 15-21
|
35/32
|
55/26
|
80/75
|
May 22-28
|
49/46
|
72/62
|
51/49
|
May 29-31
|
16/13
|
39/30
|
15
|
MAY
|
200/
181 by IS
|
286/
207 by IS
(261 Violent Deaths)
|
250/
242 by IS
|
Jun 1-7
|
50/44
|
96/87
|
29/28
|
Jun 8-14
|
67/59
|
107/47
|
88
|
Jun 15-21
|
40/35
|
82/28
|
19
|
Jun 22-28
|
45/44
|
53/38
|
62
|
Jun 29-30
|
17/15
|
21/16
|
14
|
JUN
|
219/
197 by IS
|
359/
216 by IS
(315 Violent Deaths)
|
212/
211 by IS
|
Jul 1-7
|
50/49
|
56/52
|
90
|
Jul 8-14
|
42/39
|
56/47
|
31
|
Jul 15-21
|
50/45
|
59/42
|
63
|
Jul 22-28
|
29/24
|
61/53
|
19/15
|
Jul 29-31
|
23/21
|
25/13
|
11
|
JUL
|
194/
178 by IS
|
257/
207 by IS
(212 Violent Deaths)
|
214/
210 by IS
|
Aug 1-7
|
43/39
|
49/45
|
30/29
|
Aug 8-14
|
43/42
|
38
|
44
|
Aug 15-21
|
38/35
|
24/21
|
40/37
|
Aug 22-28
|
35/31
|
25/19
|
61
|
Aug 29-31
|
27/24
|
68/30
|
43
|
AUG
|
186/
171 by IS
|
204/
153 by IS
(189 Violent Deaths)
|
218/
214 by IS
|
Sep 1-7
|
38
|
44
|
54
|
Sep 8-14
|
48/43
|
63/55
|
127
|
Sep 15-21
|
44/38
|
90/74
|
70
|
Sep 22-28
|
36/33
|
22/17
|
27/26
|
Sep 29-30
|
9/6
|
19/10
|
29/25
|
SEP
|
175/
158 by IS
|
237/
200 by IS
(179 Violent Deaths)
|
307/
302 by IS
|
Oct 1-7
|
54/49
|
85/25
|
92
|
Oct 8-14
|
43/41
|
161/152
|
41
|
Oct 15-21
|
54/50
|
87/72
|
35
|
Oct 22-28
|
24/23
|
24/20
|
53
|
Oct 29-31
|
23
|
10
|
24
|
OCT
|
198/
186 by IS
|
367/
279 by IS
(177 Violent Deaths)
|
245 by IS
|
Nov 1-7
|
32/31
|
75/69
|
36
|
Nov 8-14
|
39/31
|
111/63
|
19
|
Nov 15-21
|
30/27
|
51/43
|
29
|
Nov 22-28
|
26/21
|
35/25
|
30
|
Nov 29-30
|
9/8
|
4
|
27
|
NOV
|
136/
118 by IS
|
276/
204 by IS
(183 Violent Deaths_
|
141 by IS
|
Dec 1-7
|
22/15
|
21/8
|
11
|
Dec 8-14
|
22
|
15
|
22
|
Dec 15-21
|
23/21
|
23/16
|
17
|
Dec 22-28
|
30/28
|
24/18
|
37
|
Dec 29-31
|
15/14
|
225/220
|
4
|
DEC
|
112/
100 by IS
|
308/
277 by IS
(96 Violent
Deaths)
|
91 by IS
|
Jan 1-7
|
32/31
|
17/10
|
24
|
Jan 8-14
|
32/30
|
97/94
|
53
|
Jan 15-21
|
22/18
|
17/11
|
16/14
|
Jan 22-28
|
27/22
|
36/17
|
31
|
Jan 29-31
|
12
|
7
|
6
|
JAN
|
114
|
139
|
130
|
Feb 1-7
|
29/28
|
76
|
30
|
Feb 8-14
|
24
|
26
|
18
|
Feb 15-21
|
40
|
112
|
12
|
Feb 22-28
|
25
|
36
|
70
|
FEB
|
118
|
250
|
130
|
Mar 1-7
|
13
|
22
|
45
|
Mar 8-14
|
19/18
|
75/10
|
37
|
Mar 15-21
|
12/11
|
66/37
|
21/11
|
Mar 22-28
|
13/12
|
8/5
|
1
|
Mar 29-31
|
6
|
8
|
7
|
MAR
|
61
|
147
|
101
|
Apr 1-7
|
20
|
22
|
13
|
Apr 8-14
|
41
|
28
|
42
|
Apr 15-21
|
17/16
|
9/8
|
26
|
Apr 22-28
|
19/18
|
45/10
|
15
|
Apr 29-30
|
2
|
1
|
4
|
APR
|
99
|
105
|
100
|
May 1-7
|
18/17
|
9
|
17
|
May 8-14
|
24
|
31
|
41
|
May 15-21
|
37/36
|
62
|
39
|
May 22-28
|
43
|
39
|
54
|
May 29-31
|
13
|
16
|
48
|
MAY
|
136/135
|
162
|
199
|
Violence
By Province May 2019
Province
|
Violence
|
Anbar
|
7 Incidents
7 Killed
1 ISF
2 Civilians
4 Hashd
6 Wounded
1
Civilian
1 ISF
4 Hashd
2
Shootings
3 IEDs
2 Car
Bombs
|
Babil
|
3 Incidents
2 Killed
2 Hashd
5 Wounded
2
Civilians
3 Hashd
1
Shooting
1 IED
1
Grenade
|
Baghdad
|
11 Incidents
16 Killed
16
Civilians
14 Wounded
14
Civilians
6 Shootings
1 IED
1
Suicide Bomber
1 Rocket
1 Field
Burned
1 Car
Bomb Dismantled
|
Diyala
|
35 Incidents
22 Killed
2 ISF
9 Hashd
11
Civilians
42 Wounded
3 ISF
10
Civilians
29 Hashd
11
Shootings
11 IEDs
2 Sticky
Bombs
2
Mortars
9 Fields
Burned
|
Kirkuk
|
35 Incidents
29 Killed
13
Civilians
16 ISF
78 Wounded
21 ISF
57
Civilians
11
Shootings
18 IEDs
13
Fields Burned
|
Ninewa
|
25 Incidents
64 Killed
1
Peshmerga
63
Civilians
26 Wounded
6 Hashd
20
Civilians
8
Shootings
6 IEDs
2 Motorcycle
Bombs
1 Truck
Bomb
5 Fields
Burned
1
Motorcycle Bomb Dismantled
5
Suicide Bombers Killed
|
Salahaddin
|
20 Incidents
22 Killed
3 Hashd
4 ISF
15
Civilians
28 Wounded
1 Hashd
12 ISF
15
Civilians
8
Shootings
6 IEDs
1
Rockets
5 Fields
Burned
8
Suicide Bombers Killed
|
SOURCES
Adel, Loaa, "Security
forces thwart bomb attack in Baghdad," Iraqi News, 5/27/19
Ali, Sangar, "Iraqi
forces thwart ISIS attack on oilfields near Tikrit," Kurdistan 24, 5/28/19
Baghdad Post, "A car bomb in Ayman
Mosul," 5/18/19
Bas News, "Latest Updates on Thursday
Bombings in Kirkuk," 5/31/19
Ebraheem, Mohammed,
"Bomb attack kills two paramilitary fighters in Iraq's Anbar," Iraqi
News, 5/28/19
- "Bomb explosion leaves two civilians
wounded in Mosul," Iraqi News, 5/4/19
Read, Russ, "Rocket
fired at US embassy in Iraq the same model used by Iran," Washington
Examiner, 5/19/19
Reuters, "Deadly Blasts Rock Iraq's
Kirkuk," 5/30/19
Rudaw, "Several deadly explosions shake
Kirkuk," 5/30/19
Shafaaq News, "Killed and injured six
members of the energy police in Salahaddin," 5/22/19
Al Sumaria, "Ten terrorists killed, two
vehicles destroyed and two tanker trucks destroyed in Al-Alas," 5/28/19
TRT World, "At least four killed after six
blasts strike Iraq's Kirkuk," 5/30/19
Xinhua, "2 killed in car
bomb attack near Iraqi border with Syria," 5/23/19
- "5 killed in truck
bomb explosion in Iraq's Nineveh province," 5/26/19
- "8 killed, 12 wounded in suicide bombing
in eastern Baghdad," 5/10/19
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