Levels of violence have risen consistently in Iraq over recent months. AKE documented at least 1,090 separate violent incidents between April and June, averaging at around 12 per day.
This is an increase from the first quarter of the year (January-March), which saw at least 879 separate attacks. What is particularly noteworthy, however, is that both the first and second quarters of this year saw more violent incidents than any quarter in 2012.
According to AKE's Iraq specialist John Drake the intensification of attacks over the last six months is very worrying.
"This is a very sustained deterioration, which is more concerning than some of the spikes in violence we have seen over recent years.”
AKE believes that levels of violence have risen because of social tensions on the ground.
"There is rising animosity amongst the Sunni community towards the predominantly Shi'ah government, while radical Islamist terrorists have increased the pace of their attacks, in part to try and capitalise on the public mood and to gain support from the Sunni population.”
AKE raised the risk rating for Iraq in May after a deterioration in security conditions, particularly in the central provinces. This came after the security forces stormed an anti-government protest camp in Ta'mim province in April. The incident left several people dead and provoked a violent backlash by armed residents of the central region.
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Source: AKE
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