Security In Iraq Aug 8-14, 2021

The Islamic States appears to be in a second phase of a summer offensive while pro-Iran groups continue their steady pace of attacks upon U.S. targets in Iraq in August 2021.

 

There were a total of 31 security incidents reported in Iraq from August 8-14. That was down from 44 the week before which was the highest weekly total for 2021. 31 was still a large number of incidents as well.

 

6 of those attacks were by pro-Iran factions. They hit logistical convoys working for the U.S. in Dhi Qar (1), Baghdad (1) Diwaniya (1) and Babil (3). There have been a total of 11 incidents by those groups this month. According to a recent U.S. government report Iran has sanctioned these attacks.

 

The Islamic State looks like it is in the middle of a summer offensive. That started in June when attacks began to rise. Then there was a dip at the end of July but they have since shot up again to some of the highest weekly figures of 2021.

 

During the second week of August there were incidents by IS in Anbar (1), Baghdad (2), Diyala (2), Irbil (3), Kirkuk (3), Ninewa (5), and Salahaddin (9).

 

A total of 17 people died and 23 were wounded as a result. 2 Hashd al-Shaabi, 5 civilians and 10 members of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) lost their lives and another 3 Hashd, 8 civilians and 12 ISF were injured. Salahaddin had the most casualties at 23, the only province in double digits.

 

Part of IS’s on going offensive is to hit Iraq’s electricity network. Power towers were struck in Baghdad, Kirkuk, Ninewa twice, and Salahaddin twice with bombs and mortars. An IED was also dismantled in Salahaddin aimed at the power grid. This is meant to undermine the government during the summer heat. It’s working as power was knocked out across western Baghdad due to one of these attacks.

 

The insurgents are also moving away from Diyala which is the center of their operations and usually the most violent area of Iraq for Kirkuk and Salahaddin. Kirkuk saw 9 incidents the first week of the month and three the second. That included two villages attacked. Incidents in Salahaddin went from 16 to 9 during that same period. The biggest incident was actually an accident when the security forces found a truck bomb and tried moving it when it exploded. 6 ISF were killed and 11 wounded as a result. Kirkuk and Salahaddin both have major IS bases but violence tends to ebb and flow there. Now it appears that militants are flexing their muscles a bit there during this new campaign.

 

Security Incidents In Iraq By Province

Province	Aug 1-7	Aug 8-14
Anbar	3	1
Babil	3/2 Pro-Iran	3 Pro-Iran
Baghdad	3	3/1 Pro-Iran
Dhi Qar	1 Pro-Iran	1 Pro-Iran
Diwaniya	2 Pro-Iran	1 Pro-Iran
Diyala	4	2
Irbil	1	3
Kirkuk	9	3
Ninewa	2	5
Salahaddin	16	9
TOTAL	44/5 Pro-Iran	31/6 Pro-Iran

 

Casualties In Iraq By Province

Province	Aug 1-7	Aug 8-14
Babil	5 (4K, 1W)	3 (1K, 2W)
Baghdad	5 (5W)	2 (2K)
Diyala	1 (1W)	2 (1K, 1W)
Irbil	3 (3W)	3 (1K, 2W)
Kirkuk	6 (4K, 2W)	3 (2K, 1W)
Ninewa	2 (1K, 1W)	4 (4W)
Salahaddin	9 (3K, 6W)	23 (10K, 13W)
TOTAL	31 (12K, 19W)	40 (17K, 23W)

 

Attacks by Pro-Iran Groups July-August 2021

7/2/21	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Babil, Salahaddin
	Rockets dismantled - Baghdad
7/4/21	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US - Baghdad
7/5/21	Rockets – Anbar’s Ain Al-Asad Base
	Drone shot down - Baghdad
7/6/21	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Anbar, Diwaniya
	Rockets – Irbil Airport
7/7/21	Rockets – Anbar’s Ain Al-Asad Base – 2 US wounded
7/8/21	Rockets – Baghdad’s Green Zone
7/10/21	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Anbar
7/11/21	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Basra
	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Diwaniya
7/15/21	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Dhi Qar
7/24/21	Drone strike – Irbil’s Al-Harir Base
7/29/21	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Babil, Dhi Qar x2
	Rockets – Baghdad’s Green Zone
7/30/21	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Dhi Qar
	July Totals – 17 (2) – 2 U.S. Soldiers wounded
8/1/21	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Babil 3 Fijians killed, Diwaniya
8/4/21	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Dhi Qar
8/5/21	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Babil, Diwaniya
8/8/21	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Babil, Baghdad, Dhi Qar
8/10/21	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Babil
8/13/21	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Babil, Diwaniya
	August Totals – 11 – 3 Fijians killed

 

Security In Iraq 2021

Week	Security Incidents (Total/By IS)	Dead (Total/By IS)	Wounded (Total/By IS)
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
FEB	63/16	39	77
Mar 1-7	19/5	5	8
Mar 8-14	12/2	13	15
Mar 15-21	24/6	8	7
Mar 22-28	14/2	8	13
Mar 29-31	9/5	2	1
MAR	79/20	39	44
Apr 1-7	16/10	3	5
Apr 8-14	15/6	6	18
Apr 15-21	32/4	19	44
Apr 22-28	31/6	15	42
Apr 29-30	12/1	11	23
APR	107/27	54	132
May 1-7	36/8	33	37
May 8-14	31/5	14	25
May 15-21	15/2	3	3
May 22-28	20/9	3	24
May 29-31	11	6	11
MAY	113/24	59	100
Jun 1-7	12/5	6	29
Jun 8-14	22/10	7	7
Jun 15-21	24/4	14	14
Jun 22-28	19/2	10	17
Jun 29-30	5	-	21
JUN	83/21	36	87
Jul 1-7	38/9	11	35
Jul 8-14	25/4	7	17
Jul 15-21	20/1	48	75
Jul 22-28	10/1	10	7
Jul 29-31	16/5	30	30
JUL	110/20	106	164
Aug 1-7	44/5	12	19
Aug 8-14	31/6	17	23

 

Violence By Province Aug 8-14, 2021

Province	Violence
Anbar	1 Incident 1 Killed 1 Civilian 2 Wounded 2 Civilians   1 IED
Babil	3 Pro-Iran Incidents   3 IEDs
Baghdad	3/1 Pro-Iran Incidents 2 Killed 2 ISF   2 IEDs 2 Suicide Bombers Killed
Dhi Qar	1 Pro-Iran Incident   1 IED
Diwaniya	1 Pro-Iran Incidents   1 IEDs
Diyala	2 Incidents 1 Killed 1 ISF 1 Wounded 1 Civilian   2 Shootings
Irbil	3 Incidents 1 Killed 1 Hashd 2 Wounded 2 Hashd   2 Shootings
Kirkuk	3 Incidents 2 Killed 2 Civilians 1 Wounded 1 Civilian   2 Shootings 7 IEDs
Ninewa	5 Incidents 4 Wounded 4 Civilians   6 IEDs 1 Rocket
Salahaddin	9 Incidents 10 Killed 1 Hashd 2 Civilians 7 ISF 13 Wounded 1 Hashd 12 ISF   4 Shootings 3 IEDs 1 Truck Bomb 1 Mortar

 

SOURCES

 

Bas News, "Iraqi Town Hit by Blackout after Bombing Took Down Power Pylon," 8/12/21

- "IS Executes a Civilian, Kidnaps Another in Disputed Kurdish Areas," 8/9/21

 

Iraq Newspaper, "From them The terrorists ISIS claims responsibility for the bombing of an electricity tower in Jalam Al-Dour, north of Baghdad," 8/11/21

- "Three bombings on August 8 on American convoys in Baghdad, Babil and Dhi Qar," 8/8/21

 

Middle East Monitor, "Bomb attack targets power line in Iraq's Nineveh province," 8/8/21

 

NINA, "2 Civilians Injured In An IED Explosion West of Mosul," 8/8/21

- "A convoy of logistical support for the international coalition forces was targeted with an explosive device in Babylon," 8/8/21

- "A convoy of logistical support for the international coalition forces targeted with an IED In Babylon," 8/10/21

- "An attempt to blow up a power transmission tower in the Amerli district, south of Kirkuk, was thwarted," 8/9/21

- "Electric Power Transmission Towers Targeted South Of Mosul," 8/9/21

- "ISIS claims responsibility for the assassination of Mukhtar in Salah al-Din," 8/13/21

- "ISIS Kills A Worker Of Digging Wells West Of Kirkuk," 8/9/21

- "Security Source: Katyusha Rocket Falls on Hatra District, South Of Mosul," 8/14/21

- "Three members of the tribal mobilization were killed and wounded in an armed attack southeast of Mosul," 8/9/21

- "Tribal Mobilization Repels ISIS Attack Southeast Of Mosul," 8/14/21

- "Two Children Injured In A Detonator Explosion Left Behind By ISIS South of Mosul," 8/12/21

 

NRT, “West Baghdad Without Water After ‘Attack’ On Power Grid,” 8/15/21

 

Shafaq News, "A child was killed and two others injured in an explosion in western Anbar," 8/14/21

- "A civilian was injured in an ISIS attack on a security point in Diyala," 8/10/21

- "An employee was killed in an explosion in Salahaddin," 8/12/21

- "The second attack within hours..a bomb exploded on a coalition convoy in central Iraq," 8/13/21

- "A terrorist attack causes casualties among members of the crowd in Salahaddin," 8/12/21

- "Two Iraqi soldiers were killed in a thwarted suicide attack on the Husseiniya procession in Baghdad," 8/9/21

- "With a sniper weapon, a policeman was killed in an ISIS attack in Diyala," 8/8/21

 

Al Sumaria, "An explosive device targeting one of the electric power towers north of Baghdad," 8/2/21

 

Xinhua, "6 security members killed in an explosion in Iraq," 8/11/21

- "Gunmen bomb 7 power transmission towers in northern Iraq," 8/10/21