Monday, August 6, 2012

Iraq Weekly Roundup WEEK # 32


Levels of violence fell in Iraq last week, but conditions are still relatively worse than normal, particularly in the central region. At least 100 people were killed and 148 injured in nationwide incidents.

A total of 31 bomb attacks left 52 people dead and 112 injured, a fall from the previous week. There was a rise in the number of small arms fire attacks, which left 43 people dead and 36 injured.

The main hubs of violence were Fallujah, Ba'qubah, Tikrit, Baghdad, Kirkuk and Mosul. The south of the country saw no major incidents. Aside from a small demonstration in Sulaymaniyah and ongoing Turkish military operations on the border, Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) territory was also quiet.

A spate of attacks targeted the security forces in the central provinces on 2 August while several planned breakouts and attacks on prisons took place. An Iraqi journalist was also shot dead in Mosul on 31 July.

Tensions continue to rise between the Kurdish and Federal authorities, with a non-violent but potentially explosive standoff occurring between the Peshmerga and Iraqi army in a disputed area of Ninawa province over the course of the week. The federal troops have since withdrawn but the situation may escalate once again along the disputed belt of Ninawa, Diyala and Ta'mim provinces.

Note that the government has implemented a ruling granting a public day off on every Thursday during Ramadan.


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Source: AKE