2,677 Killed and 1,742 Wounded In Iraq April 2017
Violence was down in Iraq in April 2017 compared to March. That was due to a lull in fighting in Mosul, which is driving the security situation across the country.
There were 562 security incidents reported in the press in April, the lowest amount of the year. That was down from 712 in January, 617 in February, and 715 in March.
By province there was 1 incident in Karbala, Najaf and Wasit each, 2 in Kurdistan, 5 in Babil, 8 in Basra, 22 in Kirkuk, 36 in Salahaddin, 41 in Anbar, 52 in Diyala, 99 in Baghdad, and 294 in Ninewa.
Those led to 2,677 deaths and 1,742 wounded. 1 U.S. soldier, 1 Asayesh, 4 Sahwa, 11 Peshmerga, 46 Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighters, 54 Hashd, 225 members of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), and 2,335 civilians lost their lives. Another 1 Sahwa, 19 Peshmerga, 29 Hashd, 189 ISF, and 1,504 civilians were injured.
There were 2 fatalities in Basra, 4 in Babil, 6 in Kurdistan, 7 in Karbala, 32 in Diyala, 51 in Salahaddin, 61 in Baghdad, 77 in Kirkuk, 109 in Anbar, and 2,328 in Ninewa. 1 person was wounded in Kurdistan, 21 in Kirkuk, 22 in Babil, 42 in Diyala, 77 in Salahaddin, 80 in Anbar, 203 in Baghdad, and 1,296 in Ninewa.
Anbar officials continued to complain about growing insecurity in the province. The Islamic State still controls the western section of Anbar along the Syrian border and is continuously launching suicide and car bombs into the center of the governorate. In April, there was 1 suicide bomber and 2 car bombs with another 6 car bombs destroyed or dismantled, and 25 suicide bombers killed and arrested. There were also several large shootouts with the security forces. That led to four small security sweeps through the western region. They neither had the size nor duration to do much.
For the first time in years there were two attacks in Jurf al-Sakhr. That was the former base of IS in northwest Babil. It was cleared back in 2014, emptied of all its people, and turned into a military base by the Hashd. In April, there was a car bomb and 2 IEDs there. In Iskandiriya there was also a suicide bombing and a car bomb. It's unclear whether these mark a return of the Islamic State in Babil or just raids from neighboring Anbar and Baghdad.
Violence continued to decline in Baghdad. There were just 99 incidents, 61 killed, and 203 wounded there in April. Those were the lowest figures in years. This drop started in October when the Battle for Mosul began.
Attacks in Diyala have continued to go up and down. In April, there were 52 incidents, the highest amount since the summer of 2016. Most of those occurred in known IS support areas like Abu Saida. Diyala officials have been warning of IS returning to the province for months, but little has been done about it. With all the focus upon Mosul there are few security forces available for the rest of the country.
Kirkuk and Salahaddin are the other governorates where the local governments are consistently warning of the Islamic State. The Hawija district in Kirkuk is still under IS control, and insurgents have been moving from there into Diyala and Salahaddin. The Kirkuk authorities are consistently demanding the area be freed, but the latest news is that it might be the last part of the country to be cleared of insurgents. In Salahaddin the border area with Diyala has seen a recent build up of IS fighters. The Hashd often conduct security operations there, but the militants simply move away, and return afterward. Despite this presence the number of security incidents remain low in both provinces.
There was an ebb in the Mosul battle in April resulting in a drop in incidents. There were 294 incidents, the lowest since November 2016. Civilians were the major victims of the fighting. Of the 2,328 people killed and 1,296 wounded, 2,085 of the former and 1,173 of the latter were civilians. During the month the Islamic State was accused of executing 755 people, while Coalition and Iraqi air strikes and shelling were blamed for 874 deaths and 816 injured.
Security In Iraq 2017
4 Soldiers
1 Shooting
1 Car Bomb
1 Sticky Bomb
14 Suicide Bombers
2 Suicide Car
Bombs Destroyed
23 ISF
1 Sahwa
3 Sticky Bombs
1 Grenade
2 Stun Grenades
2 Sound Bombs
1 Stun Grenade
2 Mortars
3 Car Bombs
725 Civilians
281 Wounded
20 Shootings
19 Mortars
2 Rockets
3 Motorcycle Bombs Destroyed
24 Car Bombs
Killed/Arrested
1 Drone Strike
1 Asayesh
30 Hashd
40 PKK
1 US Soldier
81 Civilian
Arrested/Killed
109 Killed: 2 Sahwa, 4 Hashd, 34 ISF, 69 Civilians
80 Wounded: 6 Hashd, 36 ISF, 38 Civilians
25 Suicide Bombers Killed/Arrested
3 Suicide Car Bombs Destroyed
3 Car Bombs Destroyed/Dismantled
4 Killed: 1 Sahwa, 3 Civilians
22 Wounded: 3 ISF, 5 Hashd, 14 Civilians
61 Killed: 1 Sahwa, 2 Hashd, 8 ISF, 50 Civilians
203 Wounded: 3 Hashd, 18 ISF, 182 Civilians
7 Suicide Bombers Killed/Arrested
1 Car Bomb Dismantled
2 Killed: 2 Civilians
32 Killed: 2 Hashd, 6 Peshmerga, 10 ISF, 14 Civilians
42 Wounded: 1 Sahwa, 1 Hashd, 14 ISF, 26 Civilians
77 Killed: 77 Civilians
21 Wounded: 1 Hashd, 3 Peshmerga, 17 Civilians
6 Killed: 6 PKK
1 Wounded: 1 Civilian
294 Incidents
2,328 Killed: 1 US Soldier, 1 Asayesh, 5 Peshmerga, 39 Hashd, 40 PKK, 157 ISF, 2,085 Civilians
1,296 Wounded: 9 Peshmerga, 114 ISF, 1,173 Civilians
2 Drone Strikes
66 Suicide Bombers Killed
167 Car Bombs Destroyed
51 Killed: 7 Hashd, 16 ISF, 28 Civilians
77 Wounded: 4 ISF, 7 Peshmerga, 13 Hashd, 53 Civilians
1 Suicide Bomber Killed
Labels: Al Qaeda in Iraq, Anbar, Babil, Baghdad, Basra, Diyala, Insurgency, Iraqi Deaths, Kirkuk, Najaf, Ninewa, Salahaddin, Violence, Wasit
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