Iraq Security Weekly Roundup

In total at least 26 non-suicide #bomb #attacks left 45 people dead and 125 injured last week in #Iraq. Four additional #suicide bombings left at least 55 people dead and 104 injured.

Small arms attacks left nine people dead and one injured, including members of the #security #forces shot during clashes with #militants. Indirect fire incidents (rockets, mortars and military artillery shelling) left 15 people dead and 24 injured.

Seven people were #kidnapped in separate incidents in the centre and north of the country while the authorities recovered three bodies abandoned in #Baghdad and #Basrah.

#Islamic State (IS) militants seized a number of small towns around #Mosul last week, expanding their sphere of influence into areas uncomfortably close to Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) territory. 

The advance also forced numerous civilians from ethnic and religious backgrounds to flee areas such as the predominantly #Yazidi villages of Sinjar district and the predominantly #Christian town of #Qaraqosh. Reports, which are difficult to verify, are also indicating that extensive atrocities are being committed in areas under IS control, specifically against Yazidi and Christian civilians.

In response to the escalation the US approved targeted air strikes against IS militant targets. Bombings began on 8 August around Ninawa province and areas on routes approaching the Kurdish city of Erbil. Humanitarian air drops also took place around Mount Sinjar to help fleeing civilians gathered in the area to escape the militants.

Nonetheless, fighting continued between IS and affiliated fighters and the Iraqi security forces in numerous parts of the central and northern region. Clashes are also likely to continue for the foreseeable future, despite the US air strikes. It will be very difficult to retake major urban areas currently controlled by IS fighters, such as Mosul.

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Source: AKE GROUP

#Iraq #Security weekly roundup

Levels of violence fell in Iraq last week but conditions remain highly hostile nonetheless. At least 118 people were killed and 345 injured in nationwide incidents.

A total of 59 bomb attacks, including two suicide bombings, left 58 people dead and 188 injured. Small arms attacks left 35 people dead and 72 injured.

Indirect fire attacks (rockets and mortars) left 19 people dead and 85 injured. The security forces also continue to clash with Islamist militants, mainly around urban parts of Anbar province, the border with Syria and sporadically in parts of Babil, Diyala, Ninawa, Salah ad-Din and Ta'mim provinces.

The oil-rich south of the country was quiet last week although the security forces remain on alert for potential attacks. Militants are reportedly intent on infiltrating the area from Anbar province via the desert.

The Kurdish governed autonomous territory in the north of the country was also quiet last week although militant attacks on interests, particularly the Kurdish security forces, remain a possibility.

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Source: AKE

Iraq Security Weekly Roundup week #29

There was a fall in the number of attacks reported in Iraq last week. At least 130 people were killed and 402 injured in nationwide incidents.

However, while this is a reduction from the previous week, overall levels of violence remain very high in the country. Last week's fatality figure is well above average.

Violence was concentrated around Mosul, Kirkuk and the wider area surrounding Baghdad (especially in Fallujah, Ba'qubah and Muqdadiyah districts).

There were additional incidents reported around Basrah in the south, while clusters were also reported around Tuz Khurmatu and Shirqat in the north.

A total of 57 non-suicide bomb attacks left 58 people dead and 205 injured, a high figure for the country.

At least 10 additional suicide bombings left 29 more people dead and 155 injured. This is also a very high number, possibly linked to the belief amongst some radical Islamists that the holy month of Ramadan is ideally suited to martyrdom.

Small arms attacks left 30 people dead and 18 injured. A rise in indirect fire attacks (rockets and mortars) also left eight people dead and 24 injured.

On 21 July militants also conducted two complex attacks against prisons in Abu Ghraib and Taji, both in the outskirts of Baghdad, in an attempt to free prisoners held at the institutions. Reports differ as to the number of inmates released during the deadly attacks but several suspected members of al-Qaeda-affiliated organisations could be among the escapees.


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Source: AKE Group

Iraq Weekly Roundup, Week #25

Levels of violence rose considerably in Iraq last week. In total, at least 103 people were killed and 334 injured in nationwide incidents, a very high figure for the country

Incidents were concentrated in Ninawa province and the central region but a series of attacks also took place around the south of the country on 16 June, leaving dozens of casualties.

A total of 51 non-suicide bomb attacks left 70 people dead and 274 injured. This is a very high figure on its own, but there were also four additional suicide bombings, which left four people dead and 31 injured. Terrorists have evidently increased the pace of their attacks.

Small arms attacks left 22 people dead and 18 injured, a more standard figure for the country.

Security is likely to be heightened in Anbar and Ninawa provinces over the coming days ahead of delayed provincial elections but this may not deter militants who may attempt to conduct further political assassinations and terrorist attacks aimed at intimidating would-be voters who might otherwise go to the polls.

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Source: AKE Group

Iraq weekly roundup, week #24

Levels of violence rose considerably in Iraq last week. In total, at least 103 people were killed and 334 injured in nationwide incidents, a very high figure for the country

Incidents were concentrated in Ninawa province and the central region but a series of attacks also took place around the south of the country on 16 June, leaving dozens of casualties.

A total of 51 non-suicide bomb attacks left 70 people dead and 274 injured. This is a very high figure on its own, but there were also four additional suicide bombings, which left four people dead and 31 injured. Terrorists have evidently increased the pace of their attacks.

Small arms attacks left 22 people dead and 18 injured, a more standard figure for the country.

Security is likely to be heightened in Anbar and Ninawa provinces over the coming days ahead of delayed provincial elections but this may not deter militants who may attempt to conduct further political assassinations and terrorist attacks aimed at intimidating would-be voters who might otherwise go to the polls.

Yesterday many southern cities been hit by car bombs in Basra, Nasiriyah and Baghdad left more than 100 causalities. 

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Source: AKE & National news. 

Iraq Security Weekly Roundup, week #12

Levels of violence rose considerably in Iraq last week, making it the second-worst week for violence so far this year.

At least 125 people were killed and 302 injured in nationwide incidents, the worst casualty figures since a spate of co-ordinated terrorist attacks in September.

At least 49 non-suicide bomb attacks left 82 people dead and 253 injured – a very high figure for the country.

Three additional suicide bombings left 11 people dead and 33 injured. There has been a rise in suicide attacks over recent weeks although most appear to have inflicted a relatively small number of casualties.

Small arms attacks left 32 people dead and 14 injured, a relatively high figure. Many took place in the capital where militants appear to have resumed targeted assassinations against civic employees and senior members of the security forces. Officials associated with the April provincial elections have also been singled out countrywide.

Otherwise, indirect fire attacks (rockets and mortars) left three people injured. Two people were also found stabbed to death in Anbar and Wassit provinces.

Violence was concentrated in Baghdad, which experienced more attacks than any other week since the end of 2011. Mosul was also violent, but more customarily so. Otherwise incidents were concentrated in the central region, predominantly in districts adjacent to the capital.

Iraq Security Weekly Roundup Week #3

 
Levels of violence rose slightly in Iraq last week and casualty figures were higher than normal, partly due to a double suicide bombing which hit Kirkuk, as well as a rise in bombings and shootings in the central region. In total, at least 75 people were killed and 301 injured in nationwide incidents.

A total of 39 non-suicide bomb attacks left 23 people dead and 100 injured. An additional suicide bombing in Fallujah and a double suicide bombing in Kirkuk left at least 31 more people dead and 190 injured.

A rise in small arms fire attacks left 20 people dead and six injured. Indirect fire attacks (rockets and mortars) left five people injured.

Salah ad-Din province saw more attacks than any other area, although violence was also concentrated in Mosul, Kirkuk, Baghdad and Fallujah. Tuz Khurmatu in Salah ad-Din province also saw several attacks, as did Babil and Diyala provinces.

Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) territory remained relatively quiet although the Turkish air force continues to conduct cross-border raids in search of Kurdish rebels. The south of the country saw no major outbreaks of violence. 


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Source: AKE Group.

Iraq Weekly Roundup WEEK # 31

Levels of violence rose considerably in Iraq last week, and it was the worst recorded so far this year in terms of casualties.

At least 150 people were killed and 386 injured in nationwide incidents, many of which took place on 23 July as mass-casualty attacks swept the country.

A total of 70 bomb attacks left 97 people dead and 357 injured. There were two additional suicide bombings but for a change they failed to cause any casualties.

Small arms fire attacks left 49 people dead and 29 injured.

The most violent province was Salah ad-Din, a former hotspot of al-Qaeda activity. It would seem that al-Qaeda and its affiliates are trying to re-establish a presence in the area.

Ta'mim in the north of the country also saw several attacks, overshadowing the normally more hazardous province of Ninawa. Diyala province also saw several attacks.

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Source: AKE

World Risk Updates

Bahrain

Security forces dispersed several hundred Shia demonstrators near the capital Manama on 18 December. The demonstrators gathered near a roundabout on the Budaiya highway for the fourth day in a row, until police stormed the area forcing them out. Tensions continue to simmer in Bahrain and are unlikely to dissipate until the opposition feel that they are being listened to by the government.

Côte d’Ivoire

Following a local dispute, at least six people were killed by the government's new army, the Republican Forces of Côte d’Ivoire, after armed youths raided military barracks on 17 December in Vavoua in the west. The undisciplined and fragile nature of the country's armed forces - comprised of former warring factions - has sparked regular clashes since the end of post-election hostilties. Rebuilding the security apparatus is President Ouattara's biggest challenge.

DRC

After the Supreme Court confirmed Kabila's re-election, opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi called for the DRC armed forces to stop obeying Kabila. Kabila is due to be sworn in on 20 December, but Tshisekedi has declared himself president. Tshisekedi has departed from conciliatory calls for peaceful protest and is stepping on dangerous ground, risking a full-scale return to widespread violence.

Egypt

Security forces wielding batons and firing teargas clashed on 19 December with rock-throwing demonstrators who continue to call for an end to military rule. At least one person was killed in the latest clashes, bringing the total number of casualties in the recent spate of violence to 11. The demonstrations have been largely confined to the Midan Tahrir area of the city; however, there is potential for clashes to spill-over into adjoining streets in the downtown area.

Kazakhstan

15 people were reportedly killed following riots in the western region of Mangistau. The unrest was sparked on 16 December by striking oil workers in the town of Zhanaozen during independence celebrations; the violence subsequently spread to Shetpe and the regional capital, Aktau. Security personnel are likely to take an increasingly heavy-handed approach to quelling any further possible outbreaks of unrest.

North Korea

Kim Jong Il's abrupt death leaves his son Jong Un as his designated heir, although attention is likely to focus on his brother-in-law Jang Song Taek, who is expected to act as caretaker while Kim Jong Un consolidates control. South Korea’s military, supported by 28,500 US troops, is currently on high alert as developments are monitored. The current expectation is for a continuation of the status quo, where Pyongyang will continue to use its nuclear programme to leverage foreign aid where the potential for increased foreign policy tensions and the possibility of small scale military attacks on South Korea continues. It is likely the DPRK’s foreign policy will remain erratic.

US

President Obama has signed in a spending bill which will avoid forcing the closedown of certain government agencies such as defence and labour, as previously agreed. The move prevents tax rises for most workers but protects the emergency welfare benefits currently received by millions of Americans. Although the legislative battles on Capitol Hill are expected to continue, this bill provides for government financing through to September 2012, which will come as a relief to Obama as he heads into the elections.

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Source: AKE

Iraq Weekly Roundup, 19 December 2011

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

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Source: AKE

Explosion at Iraq Oil Field Partially Halts Output

Location: Rumaila Oil Field, Basra Province An explosion at Iraq's biggest oil field on Tuesday sparked a massive fire that partially halted crude production, the state-owned South Oil Co. and Britain's BP said, according to media reports. The blast, which left at least 15 people injured, occurred at a gas compressor at the Rumaila oil field, which runs along Iraq's border with Kuwait. BP and China's CNPC were in 2009 awarded a contract to boost production at the site. An SOC executive said a maintenance team was changing equipment on the compressor when the explosion happened, causing the fire. A BP spokesman said the compressor was owned by the state-run South Gas Co. and not by BP or its partners. But because the Rumaila field feeds gas to the compressor, it was necessary to partially halt production, said the spokesman, without saying by how much. Iraqi oil ministry spokesman, Assem Jihad said the fire was finally extinguished at 19:00hrs local time (16:00hrs GMT), after burning for eight hours. He said 15 people were injured in the blast and fire, while the SOC official put the toll at 19 hurt. Jihad added that repairs had already begun on the site. #AFP

Iraq's Cabinet Approves Delayed Draft Oil Law

Iraq's cabinet has approved a long-awaited draft oil law and sent it to parliament for final passage, a measure seen as key for foreign investors seeking more solid legal guarantees, according to media reports on Sunday. The new hydrocarbons law has been in the making for years but has faced opposition over who controls the world's fourth largest oil reserves, mainly from semi-autonomous Kurdistan in the north of Iraq.

Iraq's parliament last month warned the government it would force through a new draft of the law if the cabinet continued to hold up the original legislation, regarded by investors to be a crucial mark of stability in the OPEC country. "Any other previous drafts should be considered void and should be withdrawn. This draft is the only one presented to parliament," the statement said.

Investors have been waiting for the law's approval to assure a more stable legal framework for exploration. The law is also seen as pivotal to reconciling Iraq's factions -- especially Iraqi Arabs and Kurds -- as the country rebuilds after years of war.

Even without the law, Iraq is already developing oil-fields, signing billions of dollars in contracts with international companies under legislation dating back to before 2003 when a U.S. invasion ousted Saddam Hussein.

The draft oil law was approved by cabinet in 2007 but faced opposition in parliament and was sent back to the government for amendments. In June, Iraq made some changes to the law, which were being reviewed by the cabinet's energy committee.

حقيقة الميناء الكويتي الجديد !!!

قبل مدّة التقيت بعميد بالبحرية العراقية جان ضمن وفد التفاوض مع الكويتيين, كتله يا استاذ شنو القصّة مالت الميناء الكويتي !!؟؟
كَال هذا الميناء عبارة عن مؤامرة على العراق من الداخل !! لأن قبل مدّة اكو شكم سياسي حرامي وقّع عقد مد سكة حديدية بين الكويت و العراق و تمت المصادقة على هذا المشروع, بعدها بمدّة طرحو الكويتيين مشروع الميناء الجديد . فكرة هذا المشروع تجي سفن الشحن لهذا الميناء محملة بضائع تنزلها بالميناء و من الميناء راح يتم نقلها للعراق عن طريق سكّة الحديد الي راح يتم انشائها بين العراق و الكويت و اكو مشروع اخر لأنشاء مخزن كبير جدا بمدينة الكوت لخزن هذي البضائع,, يعني الشغلة بيها خيانه للبلد !! و اكو شكم واحد انتخبناهم و صعّدناهم بأصواتنا .. راحو باعوا البلد بشكم مليون دولار !!!! يعني الشغلة اساساً اذا نلغي مشروع سكة الحديد بين الكويت و العراق مراح ينجح هذا الميناء لأن هو عبارة عن محطة للتفريغ لا اكثر و لا اقل و بعدين هو مراح يصير بيه مخزن لخزن البضائع لأن حجمه صغير, و اذا فعلا تم انشاء الميناء راح تنسد قناة خور عبد الله من قبل الكويتيين و مراح تدخل سفن الشحن للعراق !!! لأن الجزء الاكبر من القناة تابع للكويت بحسب اخر ترسيم حدود بين العراق و الكويت لأن صدّام الله يلعنه كلما يدزوله الامم المتحدة حتى يدز لجنة اشراف لترسيم الحدود يرفض !!! الى ان صار اعلى مد بالبحر طلعوا الامم المتحدة وي الكويتيين ورسموا الحدود المشتركة و مثل منعرف اعلى مد للبحر يعني اعلى ارتفاع لسطح الماء و جان  الاعمق من القناة بجهة الكويت و الجرف بجهة العراق فصار مركز عمق القناة من نصيب الكويت و الجرف من نصيب العراق .. مختصر مفيد البلد مبيوع من زمن صدام و اجو الحرامية بعد صدام باعو ما تبقى من البلد !!!