Security In Iraq, Feb 22-28, 2021

Security in Iraq continued to go in two different directions in February. The Islamic State’s winter hiatus continued into the fourth week of the month. Pro-Iran groups however are ramping up their operations.

 

There were 13 security incidents reported in the media from February 22-28. Four of those were by groups aligned with Tehran leaving just nine by the Islamic State.

 

Three convoys carrying supplies for the U.S. were hit with IEDs laid by pro-Iran factions during the week. That happened in Babil, Baghdad and Diwaniya. More importantly rockets were fired at the Green Zone in the capital. That was the third such attack this month. There were a total of 16 attacks by these factions in February the most since September. Front groups take claim for all of these incidents but they are mostly linked to Asaib Ahl Al-Haq and Kataib Hezbollah who appear to be competing to be the head of the resistance groups.

 

IS attacks were in Anbar (1), Kirkuk (1), Ninewa (1), Baghdad (2), and Diyala (4).

 

They left 13 dead made up of 6 civilians and 7 Hashd al-Shaabi and 23 wounded consisting of 1 civilian, 7 Hashd, and 15 Iraqi Security Forces (ISF).

 

In Anbar a contingent of soldiers and tribal Hashd were dismantling a car bomb in the Haditha district when it exploded. That left 7 dead and 10 wounded. IS was increasing its attacks in the province during the winter but that has subsided in February.

 

The insurgents carried out two attacks in Baghdad including an IED on a tea house and a man shot down. Both were in the north. Almost all the incidents in the governorate are in the north or south where IS maintains cells.

 

As usual Diyala was the most violent area of the country. There was an IED in the north, a shooting and kidnapping in Kanaan in the center, a shootout with militants and a village attacked both in the Khanaqin district in the northeast. IS has de facto control of much of the rural areas in the center and northeast. The group is mostly looking to rebuild and expand its area in the province right now.

 

There was just one incident each in Kirkuk and Ninewa. In the former an IED went off during a security sweep that wounded ten ISF. There was a bombing in south Ninewa as well that killed three civilians. These two governorates have seen the biggest drop in attacks during the winter.

 

Security Incidents In Iraq By Province

Province	Feb 1-7	Feb 8-14	Feb 15-21	Feb 22-28
Anbar	4	-	-	1
Babil	2 Pro-Iran	-	1	1 Pro-Iran
Baghdad	1	3/2 Pro-Iran	2/1 Pro-Iran	4/2 Pro-Iran
Basra	-	-	2 Pro-Iran	-
Dhi Qar	-	-	1 Pro-Iran	-
Diwaniya	-	1 Pro-Iran	1 Pro-Iran	1 Pro-Iran
Diyala	6	5	6	4
Irbil	-	-	1 Pro-Iran	-
Kirkuk	3	1	3	1
Ninewa	2	-	1	1
Salahaddin	1	1	2/1 Pro-Iran	-
TOTAL	20/2 Pro-Iran	11/3 Pro-Iran	20/7 Pro-Iran	13/4 Pro-Iran

 

Casualties In Iraq By Province

Province	Feb 1-7	Feb 8-14	Feb 15-21	Feb 22-28
Anbar	4 (4W)	-	-	17 (7K, 10W)
Babil	-	-	3 (1K, 2W)	-
Baghdad	-	-	6 (3K, 3W)	1 (1K)
Diyala	22 (9K, 13W)	2 (1K, 1W)	9 (3K, 6W)	5 (2K, 3W)
Irbil	-	-	10 (2K, 8W)	-
Kirkuk	7 (1K, 6W)	5 (3K, 2W)	4 (2K, 2W)	10 (10W)
Ninewa	-	-	-	3 (3K)
Salahaddin	1 (1K)	5 (5W)	2 (2W)	-
TOTAL	32 (11K, 23W)	12 (4K, 8W)	34 (11K, 23W)	36 (13K 23W)

 

Attacks by Pro-Iran Groups 2020-21

Date	Incident - Location
1/4/20	Mortar – Baghdad’s Jadriya – 5 wounded
	Rockets – Baghdad’s Green Zone
	Mortar – Salahaddin’s Balad Air Base – 3 wounded
1/5/20	Rockets – Baghdad’s Green Zone
1/8/20	Rockets – Baghdad’s Green Zone
1/12/20	Rockets – Salahaddin’s Balad Air Base – 6 wounded
1/14/20	Rockets – Baghdad’s Camp Taji
1/20/20	Rockets – Baghdad’s Green Zone
1/21/20	Rockets – Baghdad’s Green Zone
1/26/20	Rockets – Baghdad’s Green Zone – 3 wounded
1/31/20	Rockets – Kirkuk’s Qayara Base
	January Totals - 11
2/15/20	Rockets – Baghdad’s Green Zone
2/21/20	Rockets – Irbil’s Makhmour Base
	February Totals - 2
3/1/20	Rockets – Salahaddin’s Sadiq Base
3/2/20	Rockets – Baghdad’s Green Zone
3/5/20	Rockets – Baghdad’s Green Zone
3/11/20	Rockets – Baghdad’s Camp Taji – 3 killed (2 US, 1 UK), 12 wounded
3/14/20	Rockets – Baghdad’s Camp Taji – 7 wounded (3 US)
3/16/20	Rockets – Baghdad’s Besmaya Base
3/17/20	Rockets – Baghdad’s Green Zone
3/26/20	Rockets – Baghdad’s Green Zone
	March Totals - 8
4/18/20	Rockets – Baghdad’s Nahrawan Chinese company
4/6/20	Rockets – Basra’s Burjisiya US company
	April Totals – 2
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 – Baghdad’s Rashidiya
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 – 1 wounded
	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 – Baghdad’s Jabour al-Shaarah
	July Totals – 12
8/3/20	Rockets – 2 areas of Baghdad’s Meshada Dist
	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
	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 – 1 killed
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
8/29/20	Rockets – Baghdad’s Green Zone
	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Babil
8/30/20	Rockets – Baghdad International Airport
	August Totals – 24
9/2/20	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Babil – 1 wounded
9/3/20	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Dhi Qar
	Rockets UK security company – Baghdad
9/6/20	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Baghdad – 2 wounded
	Rockets – Baghdad International Airport
9/8/20	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Babil – 1 killed, 2 wounded
	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Baghdad – 2 wounded
9/10/20	Rockets – Baghdad International Airport
9/12/20	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Salahaddin
9/14/20	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Babil
	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Diwaniya
9/15/20	IED on UK diplomatic convoy – Baghdad
	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Babil
	Rockets – Baghdad’s Green Zone
9/16/20	Rockets – Baghdad’s Green Zone
9/17/20	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Baghdad
	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Baghdad also reported as Babil
9/18/20	IED American Inst for English Learning – Najaf
	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Salahaddin – 1 wounded
9/20/20	Rockets – Baghdad International Airport
9/21/20	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Salahaddin
9/22/20	Mortars – Baghdad’s Green Zone
9/23/20	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Baghdad
	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Salahaddin
	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Babil
9/27/20	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Babil
	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Dhi Qar
9/28/20	Rockets – Baghdad’s Radwaniya – 5 killed 2 wounded
9/29/20	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Babil
9/30/20	Rockets – Irbil Airport
	IED airport road – Baghdad
	September Totals – 31
10/1/20	Rocket at convoy carrying supplies to US – Babil
	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Dhi Qar
	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Diwaniya
10/5/20	Rockets – Baghdad International Airport
	Rockets – Baghdad’s Jadriya neighborhood
10/11/20	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Muthanna
10/24/20	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Basra
	October Totals – 7
11/17/20	Rockets – Baghdad's Green Zone 1 killed, 5 wounded
	November Totals – 1
12/10/20	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Muthanna
12/12/20	Mortar – Baghdad International Airport
12/20/20	Rockets – Baghdad’s Green Zone – 1 wounded
	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Dhi Qar – 1 wounded
12/21/20	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Babil
12/23/20	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Babil
12/25/20	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Diwaniya
	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Dhi Qar
	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Muthanna
12/27/20	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Babil
12/28/20	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Diwaniya
12/29/20	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Diwaniya
12/31/20	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Baghdad
	December Totals - 13
1/1/21	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Muthanna
1/4/21	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Salahaddin
1/8/21	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Baghdad
	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Muthanna
1/9/21	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Babil
	IED dismantled – Dhi Qar
1/18/21	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Dhi Qar
1/20/21	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Baghdad
1/21/21	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Baghdad
1/22/21	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Babil
	Rockets – Baghdad International Airport/Jihad
1/26/21	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Dhi Qar
1/31/21	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Babil
	January Totals – 13
2/4/21	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Babil
2/7/21	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Babil
2/8/21	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Diwaniya
2/10/21	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Baghdad
2/11/21	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Baghdad
2/15/21	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Baghdad
	Rockets – Irbil Airport – 2 Killed, 8 Wounded
2/17/21	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Dhi Qar
2/18/21	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Basra
	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Diwaniya
2/19/21	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Basra
2/20/21	Rockets – Salahaddin’s Balad Air Base – 2 Wounded
2/22/21	Rockets – Baghdad’s Green Zone
2/25/21	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Babil
2/26/21	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Baghdad
2/27/21	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Diwaniya
	February Totals - 16

 

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	-
2020 Totals	215	103	28	41	3	13	41	-	-
Jan 2021	11	4	1	3	-	1	1	-	-
Feb	16	2	3	3	-	2	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
2020 Totals	87	44	20	24	1	14	21	4	-
Jan 2021	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Feb	5	2	-	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
2019 Totals	63	49	14	3	9	6	17	-	3
2020 Totals	43	77	5	10	4	3	3	-	1
Jan 2021	1	5	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Feb	-	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

 

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
2020 Totals	82	41	30	13	3	5	4	-	-
Jan 2021	4	3	2	-	-	-	-	-	-
Feb	1	2	-	-	-	-	-	-

           

Security In Iraq 2019-20

Week	Security Incidents (Total/By IS)	Dead (Total/By IS)	Wounded (Total/By IS)
JAN 2019	114	139	130/128
FEB	118/1	250/115	130
MAR	61	147	101
APR	99	105	100
MAY	137/1	163/125	200
JUN	99/3	74	122/119
JUL	82	83	119
AUG	104	103	141
SEP	123/1	122	131
OCT	70/2	92	53
NOV	55/5	47	98
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
Aug 29-31	13/3	4	12
AUG	88/24	54	105
Sep 1-7	19/4	13	26
Sep 8-14	27/6	8	29
Sep 15-21	32/10	12	14
Sep 22-28	28/7	19	11
Sep 29-30	6/3	1	6
SEP	113/31	53	86
Oct 1-7	19/5	9	12
Oct 8-14	14/1	8	10
Oct 15-21	30/1	25	26
Oct 22-28	25/1	16	24
Oct 29-31	5	4	5
OCT	93/8	62	77
Nov 1-7	11	7	10
Nov 8-14	25	23	39
Nov 15-21	19/1	18	25
Nov 22-28	24	11	26
Nov 29-30	8	1	10
NOV	87/1	60	110
Dec 1-7	19	4	30
Dec 8-14	21/2	13	26
Dec 15-21	15/2	6	8
Dec 22-28	17/6	3	22
Dec 29-31	11/2	3	4
DEC	83/12	29	90
Jan 1-7	21/2	13	19
Jan 8-14	17/3	12	6
Jan 15-21	20/3	52	133
Jan 22-28	10/3	13	12
Jan 29-31	9/1	2	6
JAN	77/13	92	176
Feb 1-7	19/2	11	23
Feb 8-14	11/3	4	8
Feb 15-21	20/7	11	23
Feb 22-28	13/4	13	23

 

Violence By Province Feb 22-28, 2021

Province	Violence
Anbar	1 Incident 7 Killed 7 Hashd 10 Wounded 5 Hashd 5 ISF   1 Car Bomb
Babil	1 Pro-Iran Incident   1 IED
Baghdad	4/2 Pro-Iran Incidents 1 Killed 1 Civilian   1 Shooting 2 IEDs 1 Rockets
Diwaniya	1 Pro-Iran Incident   1 IED
Diyala	4 Incidents 2 Killed 2 Civilians 3 Wounded 1 Civilian 2 Hashd   3 Shootings 1 IED
Kirkuk	1 Incident 10 Wounded 10 ISF   1 IED
Ninewa	1 Incident 3 Killed 3 Civilians   1 IED

 

SOURCES

 

Bas News, "At Least 20 IS Militants Killed in Diyala, 10 Iraqi Soldiers Injured: Official," 2/24/21

- "Bomb Blast Kills, Wounds 14 Iraqi Soldiers, Tribal Fighters," 2/28/21

- "Bomb Blast Targets Teahouse in Baghdad," 2/22/21

 

Jangiz, Khazan, "Peshmerga thwart attack by armed men in Khanaqin," Rudaw, 3/1/21

 

Al Maalomah, "Two shepherds were killed and a third was kidnapped in a terrorist attack in Diyala," 2/28/21

 

NINA, “An explosive device exploded south of Baghdad, without injuries,” 2/26/21

-, "Targeting a convoy of logistical support for the international coalition forces on the international highway," 2/25/21

- "Three civilians were killed when an explosive device exploded south of Mosul," 2/28/21

 

NRT, "Rockets Target US Embassy In Iraqi Capital: Military," 2/22/21

- "Seven Members Of Hashd Al-Ashairy Killed, Ten Wounded In Anbar," 2/28/21

 

Shafaaq News, "A farmer was injured when an explosive device exploded in a hot region in Diyala," 2/24/21

- "Two members of the crowd were wounded in response to an ISIS attack southwest of Kirkuk," 2/25/21

 

Al Sumaria, "A civilian was killed by a silenced weapon north of Baghdad," 2/25/21

- "An explosive device targeted a convoy of the International Coalition on the road to Diwanaiya," 2/27/21