Weekly Security Update 07 - 14 August 2013

Saturday was a particularly bloody day in Iraq as multiple attacks killed approx. 80 and wounded many more.  A series of car bombs in mainly Shi'ite areas of Baghdad killed 57 people and wounded more than 150 in what appeared to be coordinated attacks on people celebrating the end of the Ramadan.  There were 12 separate blasts targeting markets, busy shopping streets and parks where families like to mark Eid culminating in what has been one of the deadliest Ramadan months in years, with regular bomb attacks killing scores of people, especially in the capital. The latest bombings were similar to attacks in Baghdad on Tuesday 06 August in which 50 died.

Outside Baghdad, a suicide bomber detonated a bomb in a car on a busy street in the town of Tuz Khurmato, 170 km north of the capital, killing at least 10 people and wounding 45.  Police believe the bomber was trying to reach the local headquarters of a Kurdish political party, but was unable to reach the building because of increased security in the area.  Tuz Khurmato is often regarded as the epicenter of a particularly violent region over which both the central government and autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan claim jurisdiction.

Further south in the town of Nassiriya, 300 km southeast of Baghdad, twin car bombs near a park killed six people and wounded 25 in a continuation of the days violence and car bombs also hit the Shi'ite city of Kerbala, killing four and wounding 11. In Kirkuk insurgents targeted a Shi'ite mosque killing one worshipper and wounding five in what was a particularly devastating day for the Shia community.

The violence continued through the weekend and into the early parts of this week.  What is particularly disturbing is that there appears to be more and more of a ‘no holds’ barred attitude towards who and what can be targeted, something that was a key signature of the 2006 – 2007 civil war.  Over the weekend sports grounds, schools and playgrounds were all areas that were targeted by AQ.