Weekly Security Update

SOUTHERN

No significant change.  Incidents associated with insurgent activity and sectarian tensions persist at an all time low in the Southern regions with what few incidents taking place being mainly inter Shia or tribal rivalry and organised criminal activity.  What little terrorist violence there was focused in northern Babel with a spate of actual or attempted IED attacks against the homes of prominent ISF personnel.  In a similar attack from one that occurred in Abu Ghraib a Provincial Elections candidate was also attacked this week in Babel.  Of note was the 01Mar VBIED attack that took place in the Affak District east of Diwaniyah, which resulted in the deaths of 6 civillians and 60 wounded.

There remains a specific and potent kidnap and extortion threat toward foreigners and foreign businesses operating in the Basrah, Dhi Qar and Maysan areas.   Furthermore, the possibility of a sectarian motivated high impact attack is omnipresent, especially in the sensitive and religiously important areas of Babil, Karbala, Najaf, Wasit and Basrah.