During the second week of December the Islamic State made two rare appearances in Iraq while pro-Iran Hashd groups continued their attacks upon U.S. targets.
There were a total of 8 security incidents from December 8-14.
Two were by the Islamic State. In Kirkuk there was a gun battle in the southern district of Daquq followed by an attack upon a Hashd headquarters in the same area that wounded 2. The district is a long time insurgent base and the incidents were likely meant to test the security there and keep government forces away from IS camps.
Since June 1 the insurgency has only been averaged 1.6 incidents per week. That compares to 4 per week during the first half of the year. Last year the group was averaging 9.3 incidents per week. This is another example of how the Islamic State is dying a slow death in the country.
The other 6 incidents were by pro-Iran groups. There were two drone strikes upon Ain Al-Asad airbase in Anbar and two more in Irbil, one on the airport there and one crashed into a building. These have regularly been hit since the start of the Gaza War in October.
Rockets were also fired at the Green Zone for the second time this month. The last time this occurred was October 2022. Also for the second time missiles were launched from Rabia in western Ninewa at a U.S. base in eastern Syria. Kataib Hezbollah said that these operations were the start of a new phase against the Americans.
These incidents have greatly angered and embarrassed the Sudani government. The pro-Iran Hashd promised they would not assault the Americans anymore and in return the prime minister would get them to leave. Neither happened. Now Sudani seems weak because he can’t control these factions which are part of his government and the security forces and they threaten the diplomatic and business environment.
In response, the ruling Coordination Framework authorized the PM to go after those attacking the Green Zone. Baghdad then announced it made some arrests including members of the security forces. Besides Kataib Hezbollah, Harakat al-Nujaba are believed to be the two factions behind these rockets attacks.
It will be interesting to see who will win this battle of wills within the Iraqi government and how the Biden administration will respond. It has retaliated twice already and threatened more.
Security Incidents In Iraq By Province
|
Province |
Dec 1-7 |
Dec 8-14 |
|
Anbar |
4 Pro-Iran |
2 Pro-Iran |
|
Baghdad |
1 Pro-Iran |
1 Pro-Iran |
|
Irbil |
2 Pro-Iran |
2 Pro-Iran |
|
Kirkuk |
- |
2 |
|
Ninewa |
3/1 Pro-Iran |
1 Pro-Iran |
|
TOTAL |
10/8 Pro-Iran |
8/6 Pro-Iran |
Casualties In Iraq By Province
|
Province |
Dec 1-7 |
Dec 8-14 |
|
Kirkuk |
- |
2 (2W) |
|
Ninewa |
10 (1K, 9W) |
- |
|
TOTAL |
10 (1K, 9W) |
2 (2W) |
Security In Iraq 2022-23
|
Week |
Security Incidents (Total/By IS) |
Dead (Total/By IS) |
Wounded (Total/By IS) |
|
Jan 1-7 |
18/9 Pro-Iran |
3 |
4 |
|
Jan 8-14 |
35/21 Pro-Iran |
3 |
18 |
|
Jan 15-21 |
12/5 Pro-Iran |
17 |
12 |
|
Jan 22-28 |
16/3 Pro-Iran |
8 |
19 |
|
Jan 29-31 |
6/2 Pro-Iran |
2 |
6 |
|
JAN |
87/41 Pro-Iran |
33 |
59 |
|
Feb 1-7 |
11/3 Pro-Iran |
1 |
10 |
|
Feb 8-14 |
14/6 Pro-Iran |
8 |
3 |
|
Feb 15-21 |
9/1 Pro-Iran |
- |
11 |
|
Feb 22-28 |
8/4 Pro-Iran |
1 |
5 |
|
FEB |
42/14 Pro-Iran |
10 |
29 |
|
Mar 1-7 |
7/3 Pro-Iran |
1 |
- |
|
Mar 8-14 |
18/3/1 Pro-Iran |
6 |
5 |
|
Mar 15-21 |
10/4 Pro-Iran |
5 |
6 |
|
Mar 22-28 |
6/1 Pro-Iran |
7 |
4 |
|
Mar 29-31 |
4/1 Pro-Iran |
- |
5 |
|
MAR |
46/12/1 Pro-Iran |
19 |
21 |
|
Apr 1-7 |
16/8 Pro-Iran |
- |
6 |
|
Apr 8-14 |
21/7 Pro-Iran |
8 |
25 |
|
Apr 15-21 |
22/2 Pro-Iran |
10 |
22 |
|
Apr 22-28 |
44/4 Pro-Iran |
14 |
44 |
|
Apr 29-30 |
6/1 Pro-Iran |
2 |
6 |
|
APR |
111/22 Pro-Iran |
34 |
103 |
|
May 1-7 |
31/3 Pro-Iran |
8 |
25 |
|
May 8-14 |
9/2 Pro-Iran |
2 |
7 |
|
May 15-21 |
18/6 Pro-Iran |
10 |
6 |
|
May 22-28 |
13/1 Pro-Iran |
21 |
11 |
|
May 29-31 |
2/1 Pro-Iran |
- |
2 |
|
MAY |
73/13 Pro-Iran |
41 |
51 |
|
Jun 1-7 |
6/2 Pro-Iran |
- |
8 |
|
Jun 8-14 |
12/4 Pro-Iran |
1 |
9 |
|
Jun 15-21 |
10/2 Pro-Iran |
5 |
2 |
|
Jun 22-28 |
12/6 Pro-Iran |
1 |
14 |
|
Jun 29-30 |
- |
- |
- |
|
JUN |
40/14 Pro-Iran |
7 |
33 |
|
Jul 1-7 |
7/1 Pro-Iran |
6 |
11 |
|
Jul 8-14 |
3 |
- |
2 |
|
Jul 15-21 |
11/2 Pro-Iran |
14 |
16 |
|
Jul 22-28 |
18/7 Pro-Iran |
9 |
21 |
|
Jul 29-31 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
|
JUL |
43/6 Pro-Iran |
33 |
54 |
|
Aug 1-7 |
9/1 Pro-Iran |
6 |
15 |
|
Aug 8-14 |
14 |
2 |
14 |
|
Aug 15-21 |
7/2 Pro-Iran |
- |
6 |
|
Aug 22-28 |
23/4 Pro-Iran |
14 |
15 |
|
Aug 29-31 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
|
AUG |
57/7/1 Pro-Iran |
24 |
54 |
|
Sep 1-7 |
11/1 |
3 |
20 |
|
Sep 8-14 |
5 |
- |
12 |
|
Sep 15-21 |
12 |
4 |
14 |
|
Sep 22-28 |
10/2 M |
2 |
16 |
|
Sep 29-30 |
3/1 M |
- |
2 |
|
SEP |
41/1/3 M |
9 |
64 |
|
Oct 1-7 |
9/2 M |
6 |
16 |
|
Oct 8-14 |
8/2/1 M |
5 |
19 |
|
Oct 15-21 |
6 |
4 |
7 |
|
Oct 22-28 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
|
Oct 29-31 |
2 |
- |
2 |
|
OCT |
28/2/3 M |
17 |
45 |
|
Nov 1-7 |
7 |
1 |
3 |
|
Nov 8-14 |
6 |
1 |
8 |
|
Nov 15-21 |
8 |
7 |
17 |
|
Nov 22-28 |
2 |
1 |
- |
|
Nov 29-30 |
- |
- |
- |
|
NOV |
23 |
10 |
28 |
|
Dec 1-7 |
13/1 Pro-Iran |
6 |
11 |
|
Dec 8-14 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
|
Dec 15-21 |
6 |
29 |
15 |
|
Dec 22-28 |
6 |
- |
4 |
|
Dec 29-31 |
2 |
- |
- |
|
DEC |
33/1 Pro-Iran |
42 |
38 |
|
Jan 1-7 |
7 |
4 |
2 |
|
Jan 8-14 |
6/1 Pro-Iran |
5 |
2 |
|
Jan 15-21 |
11/1 Pro-Iran |
2 |
7 |
|
Jan 22-28 |
5/2 Pro-Iran |
1 |
2 |
|
Jan 29-31 |
1 |
- |
2 |
|
JAN |
29/4 Pro-Iran |
12 |
15 |
|
Feb 1-7 |
6/2 Pro-Iran |
1 |
5 |
|
Feb 8-14 |
1 |
- |
2 |
|
Feb 15-21 |
4 |
4 |
8 |
|
Feb 22-28 |
9/1 Pro-Iran |
7 |
3 |
|
FEB |
20/3 Pro-Iran |
12 |
18 |
|
Mar 1-7 |
3 |
10 |
4 |
|
Mar 8-14 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
|
Mar 15-21 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
|
Mar 22-28 |
1 |
2 |
- |
|
Mar 29-31 |
1 |
3 |
- |
|
MAR |
9 |
18 |
8 |
|
Apr 1-7 |
5 |
1 |
7 |
|
Apr 8-14 |
4 |
- |
1 |
|
Apr 15-21 |
5 |
3 |
- |
|
Apr 22-28 |
2 |
1 |
- |
|
Apr 29-30 |
1 |
1 |
- |
|
APR |
16 |
6 |
8 |
|
May 1-7 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
May 8-14 |
6 |
4 |
3 |
|
May 15-21 |
3 |
2 |
6 |
|
May 22-28 |
3 |
1 |
3 |
|
May 29-31 |
2 |
- |
3 |
|
MAY |
15 |
8 |
14 |
|
Jun 1-7 |
- |
- |
- |
|
Jun 8-14 |
4 |
7 |
4 |
|
Jun 15-21 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
|
Jun 22-28 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
|
Jun 29-30 |
- |
- |
- |
|
JUN |
10 |
10 |
10 |
|
Jul 1-7 |
1 |
- |
- |
|
Jul 8-14 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
|
Jul 15-21 |
2 |
- |
1 |
|
Jul 22-28 |
2 |
- |
2 |
|
Jul 29-31 |
3/2 Pro-Iran |
- |
- |
|
JUL |
11/2 Pro-Iran |
2 |
4 |
|
Aug 1-7 |
4 |
- |
4 |
|
Aug 8-14 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
|
Aug 15-21 |
2 |
- |
5 |
|
Aug 22-28 |
2 |
- |
2 |
|
Aug 29-31 |
3/1 Pro-Iran |
1 |
9 |
|
AUG |
13/1 Pro-Iran |
2 |
23 |
|
Sep 1-7 |
1 |
- |
1 |
|
Sep 8-14 |
1 |
1 |
- |
|
Sep 15-21 |
2 |
- |
4 |
|
Sep 22-28 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
Sep 29-30 |
- |
- |
- |
|
SEP |
5 |
2 |
6 |
|
Oct 1-7 |
- |
- |
- |
|
Oct 8-14 |
- |
- |
- |
|
Oct 15-21 |
7 Pro-Iran |
- |
- |
|
Oct 22-28 |
7/5 Pro-Iran |
- |
8 |
|
Oct 29-31 |
3 Pro-Iran |
- |
- |
|
OCT |
17/15 Pro-Iran |
- |
8 |
|
Nov 1-7 |
11/9 |
4 |
2 |
|
Nov 8-14 |
12/10 |
- |
3 |
|
Nov 15-21 |
6 Pro-Iran |
- |
8 Amer |
|
Nov 22-28 |
4 Pro-Iran |
- |
- |
|
Nov 29-30 |
2 |
11 |
16 |
|
NOV |
35/29 Pro-Iran |
15 |
29 |
|
Dec 1-7 |
10/8 Pro-Iran |
1 |
9 |
|
Dec 8-14 |
8/6 Pro-Iran |
- |
2 |
SOURCES
Bas News, "Iraqi Intelligence Agency HQ Attacked with Rockets," 12/8/23
Britzky, Haley, "US forces in Iraq came under attack for 98th time as general visited region," CNN, 12/15/23
Mahmoud, Sinan, “Iraq says some US embassy attackers linked to official security forces,” The National, 12/14/23
NINA, "Counter terrorism Kurdistan Region: A drone crashes into a civilian building in Erbil," 12/8/23
- "Iraqi factions launch 6 missiles towards the Kharab al-Jir base from the Rabia area (video)," 12/8/23
- "An ISIS attack southwest of Kirkuk Thwarted," 12/8/23
- "Targeting Ain al-Assad base in western Iraq with a drone," 12/11/23
- "Two members of the PMF injured in Daquq," 12/9/23
- "US forces targeted at Erbil Airport with a number of suicide drones," 12/8/23
Al Rafidain, “Al-Abadi’s Coalitoin: Al-Sudani Obtained The Framework’s Authorization To Pursue Those Targeting The American Embassy,” 12/11/23
Al Sumaria, “Kataib Hezbollah: Yesterday’s operations re the beginning of a new base of engagement,” 12/9/23
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