Security In Iraq Feb 1-7, 2022

Security remained relatively stable in Iraq at the start of February. There were very few attacks by either the Islamic State or pro-Iran groups.

 

There were a total of 11 security incidents reported during the first week of February. In comparison in January there were 18 incidents the first week, 35 the second, 12 the third and 16 the fourth.

 

Three of those incidents were by pro-Iran groups. That included convoys working for the U.S. being bombed in Dhi Qar and Diwaniya, and rockets fired at a Turkish military base in Zilikan, Ninewa which has been a favorite target recently. These factions carried out 31 successful attacks in January the highest amount over the last two years, but their operations tapered off at the end of the month. Their fear that they may be excluded from the next government by Moqtada al-Sadr might have them pre-occupied resulting in the decrease in attacks.

 

There were only 8 incidents by the Islamic State. Their attacks have been in the tens and teens since the middle of September. They usual wind down during the winter but these are the fewest attacks since 2003. Not only that but the group has largely been dormant for five months now the longest sustained period of time since the start of the Iraq war.

 

The group’s attacks took place in Diyala (1), Irbil (1), Ninewa (3) and Salahaddin (3).

 

They resulted in one death and 11 wounded. 1 Hashd al-Shaabi lost his life while 3 peshmerga, 6 members of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) and 5 civilians were injured.

 

Incidents in Diyala, Ninewa and Salahaddin remained mostly defense in nature. A sniper fired at a checkpoint in the Muqdadiya district of central Diyala. There were two IEDs and an infiltration attempt in Ninewa. Likewise there was another infiltration incident, an IED, and some IS members fired at Iraqi aviation to drive it away in Salahaddin. These are the types of attacks the group has largely been carrying out since the middle of September. They are meant to protect IS areas and keep outsiders at bay.

 

The one exception was a sniper firing at some peshmerga in the mountains of southern Irbil. At the end of 2021 the Islamic State was testing security in southern Irbil and Sulaymaniya. The attacks would last a few weeks and then end and then pick up but in another province. It shows that the insurgents are testing security in Iraq.

 

Security Incidents In Iraq By Province

Province	Feb 1-7
Dhi Qar	1 Pro-Iran
Diwaniya	1 Pro-Iran
Diyala	1
Irbil	1
Ninewa	4/1Pro-Iran
Salahaddin	3
TOTAL	11/3 Pro-Iran

 

Casualties In Iraq By Province

Province	Feb 1-7
Diyala	4 (4W)
Irbil	3(3W)
Ninewa	3 (3W)
Salahaddin	1 (1K)
TOTAL	11 (1K, 10W)

 

Attacks by Pro-Iran Groups

1/2/22	Rockets – Turkish army base, Ninewa
1/3/22	2 Drones shot down – Baghdad International Airport
1/4/22	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Baghdad
	Drone shot down – Ain al-Asad Base, Anbar
1/5/22	Rockets – Camp Victory, Baghdad
	Rockets – Ain al-Asad Base, Anbar
	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Muthanna, Babil
1/6/22	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Babil
1/9/22	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Babil, Baghdad x2, Muthanna, Salahaddin
	IED dismantled – Baghdad, Dhi Qar, Diwaniya, Muthanna
1/11/22	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Baghdad x2, Muthanna
	IED Dismantled - Babil
1/12/22	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Babil
1/13/22	Rockets – Green Zone – 3 Wounded
	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US - Baghdad
	IED on KDP offices - Baghdad
	IED dismantled – Dhi Qar
1/14/22	Assassination attempt on KDP official - Baghdad
	Grenades thrown at Taqadum and Azm offices - Baghdad
1/15/22	Rockets – Turkish army base, Ninewa
	Rockets – Turkish army base, Ninewa
	Drones shot down – Balad Air Base, Salahaddin
1/16/22	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US - Basra
	IEDs on Cihan Bank and Kurdistan Bank, Baghdad
1/19/22	IED 2nd Dep Speaker’s office - Kirkuk
1/23/22	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US - Babil
1/26/22	Rockets – Speaker Halbusi’s House, Anbar
	Molotov cocktail – Sadr office, Baghdad
1/28/22	Rockets – Baghdad International Airport
1/30/22	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Dhi Qar, Muthanna
	January Totals 31 (9) – 3 Wounded
2/1/22	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Dhi Qar
2/3/22	Rockets – Turkish army base, Ninewa
2/6/22	IED on convoy carrying supplies to US – Diwaniya
	February Totals 3

 

Security In Iraq 2021-22

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
Aug 15-21	25/8	12	18
Aug 22-28	21/9	8	10
Aug 29-31	12/2	5	12
AUG	133/30	54	82
Sep 1-7	21/3	12	24
Sep 8-14	28/3	24	36
Sep 15-21	13/1	5	17
Sep 22-28	17/4	13	9
Sep 29-30	2	-	-
SEP	81/11	54	86
Oct 1-7	17	11	22
Oct 8-14	14/1	4	13
Oct 15-21	9/2	3	2
Oct 22-28	21/1/1	36	42
Oct 29-31	11/1	7	7
OCT	72/6/1	61	86
Nov 1-7	20/2	3	20
Nov 8-14	15/1	11	18
Nov 15-21	14/4	2	4
Nov 22-28	15/4	10	14
Nov 29-30	3/1	1	3
NOV	67/12	27	59
Dec 1-7	17/2	29	22
Dec 8-14	14/4	4	6
Dec 15-21	22/8	11	12
Dec 22-28	18/8	11	27
Dec 29-31	7/1	5	4
DEC	78/23	56	67
Jan 1-7, 2022	18/9	3	4
Jan 8-14	35/21	3	18
Jan 15-21	12/5	17	12
Jan 22-28	16/3	8	19
Jan 29-31	6/2	2	6
JAN	87/41	33	59
Feb 1-7	11/3	1	10

 

Violence By Province Feb 1-7, 2022

Province	Violence	2018 Avg	2019 Avg	2020 Avg	2021 Avg
Anbar	-	12.6 incidents/ month	8.6 incidents/ month	7.0 incidents/ month	4.6 incidents/ month
Babil	-	4.0 incidents/month	3.0 incidents/month	2.75 incidents/month	2.5 incidents/month
Baghdad	-	33.0 incidents/month	11.6 incidents/month	7.3 incidents/month	5.6 incidents/ month
Dhi Qar	1 Pro-Iran Incident   1 IED
Diwaniya	1 Pro-Iran Incident   1 IED
Diyala	1 Incident 4 Wounded 4 ISF   1 Shooting	34.5 incidents/month	30.0 incidents/month	30.6 incidents/month	22.8 incidents/month
Irbil	1 Incident 3 Wounded 3 Peshmerga   1 Shooting
Kirkuk	-	36.5 incidents/month	18.6 incidents/month	13.9 incidents/month	11.6 incidents/month
Ninewa	4/1 Pro-Iran Incidents 3 Wounded 1 Civilian 2 ISF   1 Shooting 2 IEDs 1 Rocket	20.0 incidents/month	14.0 incidents/month	10.6 incidents/month	8.4 incidents/month
Salahaddin	3 Incidents 1 Killed 1 Hashd   2 Shootings 1 IED	21.7 incidents/month	10.6 incidents/month	11.2 incidents/month	11.5 incidents/month

 

SOURCES

 

Bas News, “Ahrar Sinjar Claims Responsibility for Rocket Attack on Turkish Base North of Iraq,” 2/3/22

 

Middle East Monitor, "Blast targets US-led coalition convoy in southern Iraq," 2/6/22

 

NRT, “ISIS Leader Killed In US Special Forces Raid In Syria,” 2/3/22

- "Three Peshmerga Wounded In ISIS Attack In Qarachockh Mountains," 2/4/22

 

Shafaq News, "A convoy of logistical support for the international coalition was exposed to an explosion between two provinces in southern Iraq," 2/1/22

- "An explosion results in a victim of the popular crowd in Salahaddin," 2/4/22

- "A landmine explosion injures a boy in one of the areas of Sinjar," 2/7/22

- "An officer and three policemen were injured by sniper fire in Diyala," 2/6/22

- "Two Iraqi soldiers injured in an explosion in Mosul," 2/1/22

 

Al Sumaria, "Thwarting an infiltration attempt by ISIS east of Baiji," 2/5/22

- "Thwarting ISIS infiltration in Mosul," 2/4/22

- "Urgent - The killing of a terrorist who tried to attack the army's aviation in Salahaddin," 2/3/22