Northern Iraq (North and North Central Regions – including the KRG)
The Northern Region reported 32 incidents this week, a slight increase on last weeks figure of 27, but still above the 2012 weekly average of 21. All of the reported incidents occurred in Ninawa province, with the majority once again concentrated on and around Mosul. Several incidents were also reported along the Tigris River Valley to the south of Mosul, including a gun attack on the oil security headquarters building in Qayyarah and the assassination of an officer in Ninawa's Auxiliary Police Force in Hud. There was also a cluster of incidents in Hamam al-Alil, which frequently features in reporting. Elsewhere, a single improvised explosive device (IED) attack targeted a police patrol in Kisik north of Mosul and a large car bomb (VBIED) detonated in the village of Bartella to the east of Mosul. In Mosul city itself, reporting again reflected the entrenched conflict between Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) and Sunni insurgents, with eight reported shooting incidents of which four targeted ISF; five IEDs of which two targeted ISF; and one VBIED targeting ISF in the east of the city. There was also a possible indirect fire (IDF) attack on ISF. Once again the targeting of ISF employed both stand-off attacks on ISF locations and patrols and the killing of off-duty personnel.
Following two weeks of elevated figures, the North Central Region witnessed a reduction in reported violent incidents to 37, which is consistent with the 2012 weekly average of 34. This drop in violence was most notable in Salah al-Din province, which recorded half the number of incidents to those seen last week. Kirkuk and Diyala provinces both continued their more gentle downward trajectories from the high levels seen in the first week of Ramadan. This reduction in activity likely reflects the ‘operational cycle’ of insurgent violence which sees the depletion of resources in the course of multiple high profile attacks, followed by a period of smaller ‘hit and run’ attacks as insurgent groups replenish their supplies. Despite the overall reduction, there were clusters of incidents reported in and around the Baji area, including a VBIED attack on ISF. Elsewhere an IED attack targeted the convoy of the Mayor of Suleiman Beg and several IEDs were found in the area of the Bai Hassan oil well in west Kirkuk.
Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) – No significant incidents were reported in the three provinces that comprise the KRG (Dahuk,Erbil and Sulaymaniyah) during this reporting period.
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