Islamic State Appears To Be Shoring Up Its Camps In Iraq

  

October saw an increase in Islamic State activity in Iraq but it was still at inconsequential levels. The goal appeared to be protecting its bases in Kirkuk.

 

In October there were 7 incidents by the Islamic State. That compared to 4 in September, 2 in August, 2 in July, 1 in February and 1 in January.

 

Islamic State Incidents In Iraq 2026

Month	Total Incidents
Oct	7
Sep	4
Aug	4
Jul	2
Jun	0
May	0
Apr	0
Mar	0
Feb	1
Jan	1
Total	19
2025 Total	14

 

All the incidents last month took place in Kirkuk mostly in the Hawija district in the south. This appears to be where the group has its bases and the attacks were meant to protect them from government forces. For instance there were four attacks upon checkpoints in the district along with an IED upon a search operation. These were likely encroaching upon IS territory.

 

In total 12 of the 19 incidents this year have been in Kirkuk. Three more have been in the Tuz Kharmato district in Salahaddin which neighbors Hawija.

 

Overall the insurgents have been more active this year with 19 incidents than last year when there were a total of 14.

 

There have been warnings that this marks a return of the Islamic State to Iraq. None of the attacks however have had any large consequences and appear to be defensive in nature. Still the increase in attacks should worry Baghdad. The government has been very effective in countering the militants and has much better intelligence and counterinsurgent capabilities than before. It has been able to eliminate several IS leaders for instance over the last several years. It has to step up its efforts to make sure the insurgents aren’t able to use these camps to rebuild and threaten the country once again.

 

Islamic State Incidents 2025-26

Date	Location	Type of Incident	Casualties
10/28/26	Al-Sayha, Hawija Dist, Kirkuk	Kidnapping	-
10/22/26	Hawija Dist, Kirkuk	Gunfire/Thermal camera at checkpoint destroyed
10/14/26	Zghaytun Valley, Kirkuk	IED	2 soldiers including general killed, 2 soldier wounded
10/10/26	Burghliya, Hawija Dist, Kirkuk	Gunfire/Checkpoint	-
10/6/26	Burghliya, Hawija Dist, Kirkuk	Gunfire/Checkpoint	-
10/5/26	Burghliya, Hawija Dist, Kirkuk	Gunfire/Checkpoint	1 police killed, 4 police wounded
10/1/26	Kirkuk City	Gunfire during chase	2 civilians killed, 1 counter terror service wounded
9/27/26	Kirkuk	Gunfire	-
	Al-Malba, Kirkuk	Mortar	-
9/19/26	Salahaddin	IED/Electricity tower	-
8/23/26	Tuz Kahrmato Dist, Salahaddin	Gunfire/Checkpoint	-
8/11/26	Wadi al-Shay, Kirkuk	IED	3 soldiers wounded
7/5/26	Kirkuk	Gunfire during chase	1 counter terror service killed
	Kirkuk	Kidnapping	-
2/6/26	Khusaim, Qaim Dist, Anbar	Suicide bomber during raid	2 Iraqi Security Forces wounded
1/30/26	Daraji, Tuz Kharmato Dist, Salahaddin
2026	19 Incidents Total
12/16/25	Ninewa	IED	2 soldiers wounded
12/13/25	Samarra dist, Salahaddin	Gunfire	Mukhtar and family killed
11/26/25	Al Jazeeera desert, Anbar	IED	1 Hashd
10/5/25	Haditha dist, Anbar	IED	2 tribal Hashd wounded
9/22/25	Anbar	IED	2 counter terror service killed, 1 soldier wounded
9/19/25	Altun Kupri, Kirkuk	Gunfire/kidnapping	-
8/24/25	Baaj, Ninewa	Video execution	1 killed
8/6/25	Hatra Island, Ninewa	IED	3 soldiers wounded
7/4/25	Prde, Kirkuk	Kidnapping	-
5/13/25	Rutba desert, Anbar	5 cars burned	-
2/23/25	Wadi al-Shai, Kirkuk	IED	1 soldier wounded
2/19/25	Duraji, Tuz Kharmato dist, Salahaddin	Gunfire	-
2/12/25	Qaim Dist, Anbar	Sticky Bomb	2 tribal Hashd wounded
	Kifri, Kirkuk	IED	1 civilian wounded
2025	14 Incidents Total

 

SOURCES

 

Asharq Al-Awsat, “Iraq Warns of ISIS Resurgence after Attacks North of Baghdad,” 10/8/26

 

Bas News, "Casualties Reported After Bombing Hit Iraqi Army in Anbar," 2/12/25

- "ISIS Kills Shepherd in Nineveh, Releases Execution Video," 8/24/25

- “Roadside Bomb Hits Iraqi Army, Injuring Three: Ministry,” 8/11/26

- “Suicide Blast Wounds Iraqi Security Forces as Raids Target ISIS Cells," 2/6/26

 

Kurdistan 24, “Counter-Terrorism Service: Two Civilians Killed, One Militant Killed, Another Captured in Kirkuk Operation,” 10/1/26

- “Iraqi Army Brigadier, Soldier Killed in Bomb Blast During Operation in Kirkuk,” 10/14/26

- "ISIS Ambush in Kirkuk Leaves One Injured, Another Kidnapped," 9/19/25

- “ISIS Attacks PMF Post as Iraq’s Disarmament Debate Intensifies," 8/23/26

- "ISIS Blows Up Power Transmission Tower in Iraq,” 9/19/26

- “Third ISIS Attack in Week Reported in Hawija Area,” 10/10/26

 

NINA, "A civilian injured in an explosive device explosion east of Kirkuk," 2/12/25

- “Five members of the Federal Police were killed and wounded in a terrorist attack west of Kirkuk,” 10/5/26

- "A member of the PMF martyred by an IED explosion in al- Jazeera desert," 11/26/25

- "An officer injured by an explosive device explosion south of Kirkuk," 2/23/25

- "Peshmerga confront militants southeast of Kirkuk," 1/30/26

- "Two soldiers injured in IED explosion in Nineveh," 12/16/25

- "Two Tribal Mobilization members injured by IED explosion in the Anbar desert," 10/5/25

 

Rudaw, “Farmer goes missing near Kirkuk, ISIS involvement suspected,” 7/5/26

- “Iraqi officer killed in clashes with ISIS in Kirkuk,” 7/5/26

- "Kurdish farmer disappears in Kirkuk, ISIS suspected," 7/4/25

- "Kurdish shepherd recounts suspected ISIS attack in Tuz Khurmatu," 2/19/25

 

Shafaq News, "Anbar: ISIS burns five shepherds' vehicles deep in the desert," 5/13/25

- “ISIS infiltrates a village and kidnaps a citizEn southwest of Kirkuk,” 10/29/26

- “ISIS targets a thermal camera belonging to the Popular Mobilization Forces in Kirkuk,” 10/22/26

- “Security media announces the toll of the Kirkuk clashes and reveals the killing of a civilian (video),” 9/27/26

- "Three Iraqi soldiers injured in an explosive device explosion in Nineveh," 8/6/25

- “A woman was killed and civilians were injured in an ISIS bombing targeting a village in Kirkuk,” 9/27/26

 

Xinhua, "2 security members killed in western Iraq," 9/22/25

- "Village chieftain killed by IS in Iraq," 12/13/25

 

Zeliln, Aaron, “The Islamic State in Iraq After the U.S. Withdrawal,” The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, 10/8/26