Summary
Levels of violence fell in Iraq over the past week, with at least 33 people killed and 84 injured. Attacks were concentrated in Mosul, Baghdad and Kirkuk, with a scattering of incidents through the central provinces and a notable bombing attack on oil and gas infrastructure in Basrah province.
Tactics
At least 26 bomb attacks left 15 people dead and 77 injured, a decline from the previous week, while a consistent number of small arms fire attacks left 15 people dead and seven injured. There was only one indirect fire (rocket or mortar) attack reported but it caused no casualties or damage. There were no suicide attacks recorded over the course of the week, and the country should now be considered statistically overdue.
Abductions
Three people were kidnapped in separate incidents, including a mayor in Babil province who was later found shot dead. Three ministry employees abducted last week were also found shot dead in Salah ad-Din province. A rare abduction was also recorded in Kurdistan, although the victim was freed very quickly by a security force operation.
The Withdrawal
Meanwhile AKE issued a risk advisory for Iraq on Global Intake following the withdrawal of US forces from the country which concluded on 17 December. Counter-insurgency operations on the ground will no longer take place while training of the Iraqi security forces has also been significantly scaled back. The country now faces a security gap, which various threat groups, both domestic and external may attempt to capitalise on. Violence may therefore rise over the course of 2012, not least as the political environment appears to growing more competitive and
confrontational
______________________________________________
Source: AKE
No comments:
Post a Comment