Monday, August 31, 2020

Security In Iraq Aug 22-28, 2020


After two months of Iraq being relatively quiet security incidents suddenly shot up in the last week of August. This could be the start of a late summer offensive, but it’s still too early to tell.

 

There were 32 incidents reported in Iraq from August 22-28, 29 of which were by the Islamic State. That was up from 9 incidents by IS the third week of August, 11 the week before, and 6 the week before that. That was largest weekly total since the third week of May which was the end of the Islamic State’s spring campaign.

 

Pro-Iran groups conducted three attacks during the week. They were all in Baghdad where two convoys carrying supplies to the Americans were hit by IEDs and rockets fell on the Green Zone. In June these units started a new wave of operations as the United States and Iraq entered negotiations over a new security agreement which Tehran opposes. In August the prime minister went to Washington D.C. and met with President Trump and the pro-Iran groups responded with 20 attacks to embarrass the premier.

 

Attacks by Pro-Iran Groups May-August 2020

Date

Incident - Location

5/6/20

Rockets – Baghdad International Airport

5/19/20

Rockets – Baghdad’s Green Zone

 

May Total - 2

6/8/20

Rockets – Baghdad International Airport

6/10/20

Rockets – Baghdad’s Green Zone

6/13/20

Rockets – Baghdad’s Camp Taji

6/14/20

Rockets – Baghdad’s Camp Taji

6/15/20

Rockets – Baghdad International Airport

 

Rockets found - Rashidiya, Baghdad

6/18/20

Rockets – Baghdad’s Green Zone

6/22/20

Rockets – Baghdad’s International Airport

 

June Total - 8

7/5/20

Rockets – Baghdad’s Green Zone

 

Rockets found – Baghdad’s Camp Taji

7/10/20

Rockets found – Aimed at Baghdad’s Green Zone

7/11/20

Burned trucks carrying supplies to US - Muthanna

7/19/20

Rockets – Baghdad’s Green Zone

7/22/20

IEDs trucks carrying supplies to US – Dhi Qar

7/23/10

Drone and bomb found – Jadriya, Baghdad

7/24/10

Rockets – Baghdad’s Besmaya Base

7/27/20

Rockets – Baghdad’s Camp Taji

 

Rockets – Salahaddin’s Camp Speicher

7/30/20

Rockets – Baghdad’s International Airport

7/31/20

Rockets found – Jabour al-Shaarah, Baghdad

 

July Totals – 12

8/3/20

Rockets – 2 areas of Meshada Dist, Baghdad

 

Rockets – Baghdad’s Camp Taji

8/4/20

IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Dhi Qar

8/5/20

Rockets – Baghdad’s Green Zone

8/9/20

IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Dhi Qar

8/10/20

IED on convoy carrying supplies to US - Basra

8/11/20

IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Baghdad’s Camp Taji

 

Rockets – Baghdad’s Camp Taji

 

Rockets – Landed in Tigris River, Baghdad

8/14/20

Rockets – Baghdad International Airport

 

Rockets – Salahaddin’s Balad Air Base

8/14/20

IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Diwaniya

8/15/20

Rockets – Baghdad’s Camp Taji

 

IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Dhi Qar

8/16/20

Rockets – Baghdad’s Green Zone

8/18/20

Rockets – Baghdad International Airport

8/21/20

IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Baghdad

8/22/20

IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Baghdad

8/23/20

IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Baghdad

8/28/20

Rockets – Baghdad’s Green Zone

 

August Totals - 20

 

That left 29 incidents by the Islamic State. Those were spread across Irbil (1), Kirkuk (2), Salahaddin (3), Anbar (4), Ninewa (4), and Diyala (15).

 

Those left 23 dead and 41 wounded. 2 Hashd al-Shaabi, 10 civilians, and 11 Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) lost their lives and another 2 U.N. workers, 5 Hashd, 16 ISF, and 18 civilians were injured. As usual 34 of the 64 dead and wounded were from the security forces as IS has launched a war of attrition against them. Diyala had the most casualties with 27 followed by 14 in Kirkuk, 11 in Anbar, 6 in Ninewa, and 4 in Salahaddin.

 

A sign that IS might be up to something new was the four incidents in Anbar. Some IEDs were dismantled in the Rutba district, an IED killed 3 civilians, a checkpoint was attacked and there was a gun battle both in the Qaim district along the Syrian border. There was also a security sweep through that area and another in the western desert. Previously there had only been one incident the third week of August, one the week before that and none the first week of the month. That is the norm because the province is mostly used for logistics and smuggling by the insurgents. When there are four incidents in one week then, that definitely points to an increase in IS activity that could be the sign of something bigger happening in the rest of Iraq.

 

Government forces went through Tarmiya which is in northern Baghdad. While IS has given up on infiltrating the capital there are still cells in the outlying areas. Tarmiya is one of them. That last attack in the province by militants was in that area.

 

Diyala returned as the center of IS in Iraq. There were 15 incidents spread across the province with 7 in the Khanaqin district in the northeast. They included some trucks being stopped, burned, and four drivers kidnapped with three later found dead. There were also two mortar attacks upon villages, two villages assaulted, and six checkpoints shot at. One of the attacks upon a checkpoint resulted in a Hashd commander being killed. Part of IS’s on-going war of attrition versus the government’s forces is the targeting of high ranking officers. The previous week the Counter Terror chief of Salahaddin was killed.

 

An IED left two soldiers wounded in Makhmour in southern Irbil. During the spring offensive IS was hitting Irbil every week looking for weak spots between the Iraqi and Kurdish forces. Then it suddenly stopped. A new attack there is another sign that IS might be picking up operations.

 

There were two incidents in Kirkuk. An IED left six wounded in Kirkuk city and there was a gun battle in the Sadiya area that killed 4 police and wounded 4 more. There was a security sweep as well. Sadiya is in the south where most of the violence takes place. Every now and then however there is an incident in Kirkuk city.

 

Four IEDs detonated in Ninewa. There were spread across the south and west. This included one incident where two United Nations workers were wounded. Government forces also went through the Qayara and Shura areas in the south and Mosul.

 

A sniper shot at a checkpoint, an IED went off, and there was a gun battle in the Samarra district of Salahaddin. Government forces also went through that last area.

 

Security Incidents In Iraq By Province

Province

Aug 1-7

Aug 8-14

Aug 15-21

Aug 22-28

Anbar

-

1

1

4

Babil

-

-

1

-

Baghdad

4 Pro-Iran

5/

4 Pro-Iran

4 Pro-Iran

3 Pro-Iran

Basra

-

1 Pro-Iran

-

-

Dhi Qar

1 Pro-Iran

1 Pro-Iran

1 Pro-Iran

-

Diwaniya

-

1 Pro-Iran

-

-

Diyala

1

5

1

15

Irbil

-

-

-

1

Kirkuk

1

2

2

2

Ninewa

1

1

2

4

Salahaddin

2

2/

1 Pro-Iran

2

3

TOTAL

10/5

19/8

14/5

32/3

 

Casualties In Iraq By Province

Province

Aug 1-7

Aug 8-14

Aug 15-21

Aug 22-28

Anbar

-

1 (1K)

1 (1K)

11 (6K, 5W)

Babil

-

-

1 (1K)

-

Baghdad

-

1 (1K)

1 (1K)

-

Diyala

6 (2K, 4W)

17 (3K, 14W)

4 (4 W)

27 (13K, 14W)

Irbil

-

-

-

2 (2W)

Kirkuk

-

9 (2K, 7W)

7 (2K, 5W)

14 (4K, 10W)

Ninewa

-

1 (1W)

1 (1W)

6 (6W)

Salahaddin

11 (5K, 6W)

-

18 (8K, 10W)

4 (4W)

TOTAL

17 (7K, 10W)

29 (7K, 22W)

33 (13K, 20W)

 

 

Islamic State Activity in Iraq 2018-20

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

2019

Totals

185

112

33

63

2

6

29

2

-

Jan 2020

13

6

-

2

-

1

-

-

-

Feb

16

5

2

8

-

1

-

-

-

Mar

15

10

4

2

-

-

-

-

-

Apr

20

17

4

2

-

-

-

-

-

May

38

18

8

9

1

5

17

-

-

Jun

13

1

-

2

-

1

2

-

-

Jul

10

10

1

2

-

-

2

-

-

Aug

14

4

1

7

-

3

2

-

-

 

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

2019

Totals

77

116

24

19

6

8

18

-

1

Jan 2020

10

1

2

2

-

1

-

-

-

Feb

5

-

2

1

-

2

1

-

-

Mar

1

-

-

1

-

-

-

-

-

Apr

17

7

6

3

-

2

1

1

-

May

15

10

1

7

1

4

10

-

-

Jun

5

2

1

1

-

1

1

-

-

Aug

3

5

1

-

-

-

2

-

-

 

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

2019

Totals

63

49

14

3

9

6

17

-

3

Jan 2020

7

5

2

1

-

1

-

-

-

Feb

5

5

-

-

1

-

-

-

1

Mar

2

5

1

-

-

-

-

-

-

Apr

8

8

1

4

-

1

1

-

-

May

5

9

-

2

-

-

2

-

-

Jun

-

5

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Jul

-

1

-

1

-

-

-

-

-

Aug

-

10

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

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

2019

Totals

60

54

32

5

2

6

8

2

6

Jan 2020

4

-

-

1

1

-

-

-

-

Feb

5

-

1

-

-

1

-

-

-

Mar

5

2

3

-

-

-

-

-

-

Apr

4

3

3

-

-

1

-

-

-

May

21

6

9

5

-

2

2

-

-

Jun

5

4

1

2

-

-

1

-

-

Jul

4

5

1

1

1

-

-

-

-

Aug

6

3

3

1

-

-

-

-

-

           

Security In Iraq 2019-20

Week

Security

Incidents

(Total/By IS)

Dead

(Total/By IS)

Wounded

(Total/By IS)

Jan 1-7

32

17/10

24

Jan 8-14

32

94/31

53

Jan 15-21

22

17/11

16/14

Jan 22-28

27

36/17

31

Jan 29-31

12

7

6

JAN 2019

114

139

130/128

Feb 1-7

29/1

76/16

30

Feb 8-14

24

26

18

Feb 15-21

40

112/37

12

Feb 22-28

25

36

70

FEB

118/1

250/115

130

Mar 1-7

13

22

45

Mar 8-14

19

75/10

37

Mar 15-21

12

66/37

21/11

Mar 22-28

13

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

9/8

26

Apr 22-28

19

45

15

Apr 29-30

2

1

4

APR

99

105

100

May 1-7

20

15

18

May 8-14

24

31

41

May 15-21

37/1

62/25

39

May 22-28

43

39

54

May 29-31

13

16

48

MAY

137/1

163/125

200

Jun 1-7

26

19

44

Jun 8-14

25/1

29

15

Jun 15-21

21/2

6

13/10

Jun 22-28

18

17

41

Jun 29-30

9

3

9

JUN

99/3

74

122/119

Jul 1-7

20

11

39

Jul 8-14

14

31

10

Jul 15-21

17

14

37

Jul 22-28

23

14

20

Jul 29-31

8

13

13

JUL

82

83

119

Aug 1-7

27

14

31

Aug 8-14

18

13

13

Aug 15-21

20

33

15

Aug 22-28

27

24

72

Aug 29-31

11

19

10

AUG

104

103

141

Sep 1-7

39

39

38

Sep 8-14

30

35

43

Sep 15-21

23

27

26

Sep 22-28

24/1

15

20

Sep 29-30

7

6

4

SEP

123/1

122

131

Oct 1-7

3

1

2

Oct 8-14

14

25

17

Oct 15-21

19

29

13

Oct 22-28

22/1

33

10

Oct 29-31

12/1

4

11

OCT

70/2

92

53

Nov 1-7

6/1

4

1

Nov 8-14

9/1

2

25

Nov 15-21

15/1

11

2

Nov 22-28

17/1

24

33

Nov 29-30

8/1

6

37

NOV

55/5

47

98

Dec 1-7

36/3

33

44

Dec 8-14

19/3

19

19

Dec 15-21

26

44

25

Dec 22-28

30/1

30

38

Dec 29-31

9

8

7

DEC

120/7

134

133

Jan 1-7

25/7

16

84

Jan 8-14

24/3

12

34

Jan 15-21

23/2

11

12

Jan 22-28

11/1

10

8

Jan 29-31

8/1

4

1

JAN 2020

91/12

53

139

Feb 1-7

22

13

11

Feb 8-14

18/1

5

38

Feb 15-21

16/2

42

18

Feb 22-28

25

15

34

Feb 29

4

5

2

FEB

85/3

80

103

Mar 1-7

17/3

11

17

Mar 8-14

15/2

13

33

Mar 15-21

14/2

5

19

Mar 22-28

14/1

13

11

Mar 29-31

9

5

10

MAR

69/8

47

90

Ap 1-7

27/1

27

37

Apr 8-14

24

25

51

Apr 15-21

33/1

19

34

Apr 22-28

22

8

40

Apr 29-30

5

2

4

APR

111/2

81

165

May 1-7

44/1

47

36

May 8-14

49

21

47

May 15-21

66/1

45

64

May 22-28

30

9

21

May 29-31

7

3

12

MAY

196/2

125

180

Jun 1-7

17

13

19

Jun 8-14

16/4

10

15

Jun 15-21

16/3

11

19

Jun 22-28

10/1

8

13

Jun 29-30

1

4

2

JUN

60/8

46

68

Jul 1-7

12/2

3

9

Jul 8-14

16/2

15

15

Jul 15-21

19/1

17

28

Jul 22-28

13/5

9

8

Jul 29-31

13/2

3

7

JUL

73/12

47

67

Aug 1-7

10/4

7

10

Aug 8-14

19/8

7

22

Aug 15-21

14/5

13

20

Aug 22-28

32/3

23

41

 

Violence By Province Aug 22-28, 2020

Province

Violence

Anbar

4 Incidents

6 Killed

3 Civilians

3 ISF

5 Wounded

2 ISF

3 Hashd

 

2 Shootings

2 IEDs

Baghdad

3 Pro-Iran Incidents

 

2 IEDs

1 Rockets

Diyala

15 Incidents

13 Killed

2 Hashd

4 ISF

7 Civilians

14 Wounded

2 Hashd

5 ISF

7 Civilians

 

9 Shootings

2 IEDs

3 Mortars

Irbil

1 Incident

2 Wounded

2 ISF

 

1 IED

Kirkuk

2 Incidents

4 Killed

4 ISF

10 Wounded

4 ISF

6 Civilians

 

1 Shooting

1 IED

Ninewa

4 Incidents

6 Wounded

2 Civilians

2 UN workers

2 ISF

 

4 IEDs

Salahaddin

3 Incidents

4 Wounded

1 ISF

3 Civilians

 

2 Shooting

1 IED

 

SOURCES

 

AIN, "The popular crowd begins a security operation north of Diyala," 8/28/20

 

Bas News, "Diyala: Bomb Blast Wounds Three Civilians," 8/27/20

- "Four Kurdish Civilians Executed by IS after Being Kidnapped from Disputed Areas," 8/27/20

- "IS Snipers Wound Kurdish Policeman In Tus Khurmatu," 8/27/20

- "Kurdish Family Targeted with IED in Disputed Town of Diyala," 8/27/20

- "Three Iraqi Soldiers Killed in Separate IS Attacks," 8/25/20

 

Dri, Karwan Faidhi, "Roadside explosion injures two UN personnel in Nineveh Plains," 8/26/20

 

Iraq Newspaper, "The terrorists ISIS launch a dawn attack on the 41st Brigade Asaib Qais in the Tal al-Dhahab area, south of Samarra," 8/27/20

 

Kurdistan 24, "IED explosion in Kirkuk leaves six wounded," 8/23/20

 

Al Maalomah, "Anbar … clearing five desert areas of the remnants of ISIS terrorists," 8/25/20

- "The arrest of ISIS members in preemptive security operation in western Anbar," 8/23/20

- "An explosion targets an American convoy west of Baghdad," 8/22/20

- "The popular crowd confronts an ISIS attack in western Anbar," 8/24/20

- "The Popular Mobilization Forces foils an infiltration attempt by ISIS south of Samarra," 8/27/20

- "The Popular Mobilization Forces carry out a search operation to pursue ISIS southwest of Kirkuk," 8/27/20

- "The Popular Mobilization Forces carry out a security operation in search of wanted persons on the right side of Mosul," 8/27/20- "The Shiite crowd is chasing ISIS in Tal Salima, Diyala," 8/26/20

- "Three civilians, including two children, were killed when a landmine exploded in western Anbar," 8/22/20

 

Al Mada, "ISIS turns over night in Diyala and Kirkuk: Villages receive 8 attacks within 6 hours," 8/25/20

 

NINA, "2 Policemen Injured By IED, South Of Mosul," 8/24/20

- "Four soldiers were killed and wounded in an ISIS attack on a military post northeast of Baqubah," 8/27/20

- "An IED Goes Off South Of Mosul," 8/28/20

- "An ISIS attack on a military post near Khanaqin in Diyala was repelled," 8/25/20

- "A Leader In The PMF Martyred IN An ISIS Attack In Khanaqin, Diyala," 8/29/20

- "Nineveh Operations Command carries out a military operation to pursue gangs of ISIS cells south of Mosul," 8/25/20

- "A number of terrorists were killed and wounded in a security operation north of Baghdad," 8/23/20

- "The PMF Block ISIS Supply Routes In Hamrin Basin, Northeast Of Baquba," 8/23/20

- "A soldier was wounded in an ISIS attack on a military post north of Baqubah," 8/24/20

- "Three people from one family were injured in a bomb explosion in Diyala," 8/26/20

- "Three Soldiers Killed And Wounded In An ISIS Attack Northeast of Baquba," 8/25/20

- "Thwarting an attempt to target the military convoys with IEDs in Rutba in Anbar," 8/25/20

- "Two civilians were injured in an explosive device explosion south of Mosul," 8/26/20

- "Two mortar shells fell in Khanaqin in Diyala," 8/22/20

- "Two mortar shells hit a village in the Hamrin Basin, northeast of Baqubah," 8/24/20

 

NRT, "PMF Commander Killed In ISIS Attack In Khanaqin's Shirk Village," 8/28/20

- "Three Civilians Killed By Unidentified Gunmen In Khanaqin," 8/27/20

- "Two Iraqi Soldiers Killed In ISIS Attack In Diyala Governorate," 8/25/20

 

Sherwani, Halgurd, "Three Katyusha rockets land in Baghdad's Green Zone: military," Kurdistan 24, 8/28/20

 

Al Sumaria, "Security media: A bomb exploded on a company contracting with the International Coalition near Taji," 8/23/20

 

Xinhua, "3 Iraqi policemen killed in IS attack near Syrian border," 8/26/20

 

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