Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Security In Iraq, Dec 15-21, 2017


The greatly improved security situation in Iraq continued into the third week of December 2017. There were the fewest recorded security incidents of the year. Casualties were high though due to two mass graves of victims of the Islamic State being discovered in Ninewa.

There were only 49 security incidents reported in the media in Iraq from December 15-21. That was the smallest amount for any full week of 2017. That was also the 19th straight week with fewer than 100 incidents being recorded.

Ninewa had the most incidents with 13. That was followed by 10 in Baghdad, 9 in Diyala, 8 in Kirkuk, 4 in Anbar, 2 in Irbil and 1 each in Babil, Dohuk and Salahaddin.

Security Incidents In Iraq By Province Dec 15-21, 2017
Babil 1
Dohuk 1
Salahaddin 1
Irbil 2
Anbar 4
Kirkuk 8
Diyala 9
Baghdad 10
Ninewa 13

Those incidents led to a total of 144 deaths and 27 wounded. 1 Peshmerga, 4 Hashd al-Shaabi, 6 Turkish soldiers, 10 members of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), and 123 civilians lost their lives. Another 1 Turkish soldier, 1 Peshmerga, 3 Hashd, 5 ISF, and 17 civilians were injured. 1 of those was in Dohuk, 1 in Salahaddin, 4 in Kirkuk, 6 in Irbil, 8 in Anbar, 13 in Diyala, 18 in Baghdad, and 120 in Ninewa.

Casualties In Iraq By Province Dec 15-21, 2017
Dohuk 1 (1 Wounded)
Salahaddin 1 (1 Wounded)
Kirkuk 4 (3 Killed, 1 Wounded)
Irbil 6 (6 Killed)
Anbar 8 (5 Killed, 3 Wounded)
Diyala 13 (8 Killed, 5 Wounded)
Baghdad 18 (4 Killed, 14 Wounded)
Ninewa 120 (118 Killed, 2 Wounded)

Anbar witnessed just four incidents during the week. There was a gun battle with insurgents in the Baghdadi district and rocket fire from Syria into the Qaim area in the west. Several bodies were found shot and stabbed in the west as well. The border region has been a concern of the Iraqi forces lately. There are still Islamic State elements operating there, and they have also been attacking from Syria.

There were only 10 incidents in Baghdad as security remains the best it has been in the province since 2003. 3 of the incidents were shootings, and the other 7 IEDs and sticky bombs showing the low level of violence.

Diyala is one of the province where IS is rebuilding. Attacks have been down there however since the summer. During the week there were 9 incidents. Most were small scale shootings and IEDs.

Kirkuk has seen a mix of insurgent and political violence. 7 of the 8 incidents occurred inside Kirkuk city. That included an attack upon the Turkmen Front office. That party has been targeted several times in the province since federal forces moved into Kirkuk and other disputed areas.

Turkish forces continued to be attacked in Kurdistan. 6 Turkish soldiers were killed in Irbil, and one wounded in Dohuk in shootings and IEDs laid by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Ankara has been bombing and shelling Kurdistan nearly every week for months now. The PKK has recently been striking back.

Militants are also active in Ninewa. There were 6 incidents inside Mosul including a suicide bomber who killed himself when he was discovered. Another was when insurgents had a running gun battle with the security forces through three neighborhoods. Two mass graves were also found in Sinjar with a total of 110 bodies.

Attacks in Salahaddin have gone up and down since the summer. There was just one incident from December 15-21. This is despite the fact that IS is still moving around in the rural and mountainous areas of the governorate.

Security In Iraq 2017
Week
Security
Incidents
Dead
Wounded
Jan 1-7
188
509
1,346
Jan 8-14
168
371
1,036
Jan 15-21
137
585
1,262
Jan 22-28
145
289
310
Jan 29-31
74
127
338
JAN
712
1,881
4,292
Feb 1-7
123
388
176
Feb 8-14
164
434
390
Feb 15-21
148
393
508
Feb 22-28
185
647 + 399
1,390 + 1,634
FEB
620
1,862 + 399
2,464 + 1,634
Mar 1-7
179
749
622
Mar 8-14
171
551
614
Mar 15-21
143
571
1,166
Mar 22-28
152
1,233
575
Mar 29-31
71
374 + 278
288 + 2,925
MAR
716
3,478 + 278
3,265 + 2,925
Apr 1-7
174
903
487
Apr 8-14
126
599
669
Apr 15-21
108
479
449
Apr 22-28
122
698
328
Apr 29-30
39
138
51
APR
569
2,817
1,984
May 1-7
106
405
468
May 8-14
109
601
386
May 15-21
132
363
224
May 22-28
106
433
150
May 29-31
69
214
236
MAY
522
2,016
1,464
Jun 1-7
136
1,403
487
Jun 8-14
127
658
174
Jun 15-21
114
480
101
Jun 22-28
119
340
246
Jun 29-30
37
349
127
JUN
533
3,230
1,135
JAN-JUN
3,669
15,262 +
677
14,497 +
4,559
Jul 1-7
141
798
331
Jul 8-14
105
298
86
Jul 15-21
87
124
72
Jul 22-28
107
189
122
Jul 29-31
37
50
25
JUL
477
1,459
636
Aug 1-7
80
143
188
Aug 8-14
88
955
124
Aug 15-21
73
97
100
Aug 22-28
85
674
132
Aug 29-31
31
30
40
AUG
357
1,958
1,261
Sep 1-7
62
68
73
Sep 8-14
78
412
176
Sep 15-21
91
145
180
Sep 22-28
52
78
104
Sep 29-30
23
25
16
SEP
306
728
549
Oct 1-7
64
64
84
Oct 8-14
72
133
85
Oct 15-21
60
321
449
Oct 22-28
65
372
222 + 1,700
Oct 29-31
25
23
25
OCT
286
913
865 + 1,700
Nov 1-7
72
135
97
Nov 8-14
62
445
64
Nov 15-21
79
138
159
Nov 22-28
59
149
76
Nov 29-30
24
415
29
NOV
296
1,282
425
Dec 1-7
59
252
61
Dec 8-14
56
135
115
Dec 15-21
49
144
27

Violence By Province Dec 15-21, 2017
Province
Violence
Anbar
4 Incidents
5 Killed
5 Civilians
3 Wounded
3 ISF

2 Shootings
1 Rocket
Babil
1 Incident

1 IED Dismantled
Baghdad
10 Incidents
4 Killed
1 Hashd
3 Civilians
14 Wounded
3 Hashd
11 Civilians

3 Shootings
5 IEDs
2 Sticky Bombs
Diyala
9 Incidents
8 Killed
2 Civilians
3 ISF
3 Hashd
5 Wounded
1 Peshmerga
4 Civilians

4 Shootings
2 IEDs
Dohuk
1 Incident
1 Wounded
1 Turkish Soldier

1 IED
Irbil
2 Incidents
6 Killed
6 Turkish Soldiers

2 Shootings
Kirkuk
8 Incidents
3 Killed
1 ISF
2 Civilians
1 Wounded
1 ISF

2 Shootings
1 IED
1 Mortar
1 Grenade
3 Rockets
Ninewa
13 Incidents
118 Killed
1 Peshmerga
6 ISF
111 Civilians
2 Wounded
1 ISF
1 Civilian

7 Shootings
2 IEDs
1 Suicide Bomber
1 Suicide Bomber Killed
Salahaddin
1 Incident
1 Wounded
1 Civilian

1 Mortar

SOURCES

Baghdad Post, "3 Iraqi soldiers injured in attack near Syria border," 12/20/17
- "Exclusive 3 mass graves found in western Mosul," 12/21/17

Bas News, "Hashd Al-Shaabi Attacked by Unknown Gunmen in Pirde, SE Erbil," 12/19/17
- "IS Militants Infiltrate 3 Neighborhoods in Mosul, Kill 2 Policemen," 12/21/17

Ebraheem, Mohammed, "Suicide bomber killed before blowing himself up outside Mosul house," Iraqi News, 12/17/17

Al Ghad Press, "Six Turkish soldiers killed,” 12/15/17
- "Two tombs of Yazidis were found west Ninewa," 12/16/17
-  "A Turkish intelligence agent was injured in Amadiya in Dohuk," 12/15/17

Iraq Newspaper, "Iraqi Newspaper: Bloody battles between the 7th Brigade of the popular crowd and elements of Dash in the village of Mahboubhe in Anbar," 12/16/17

NINA, "An Attack on the headquarters of the Turkmen Front in Kirkuk and the arrest of the attackers," 12/16/17
-  Three people from one family killed west of Anbar," 12/15/17
- "Two other bodies were found west of Anbar," 12/15/17

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