Levels of violence are rising in Iraq. While some commentators in the press are referring to the increase as a spike, regular readers of Iraq Business News will understand that the rise has actually been very gradual - but consistent - with the number of attacks building up all the way from the beginning of […]
Overview Levels of violence rose in Iraq last week, making it the worst recorded by AKE since the national elections were held in March 2010. There were over 90 separate attacks documented, mainly in Baghdad and the districts surrounding it, although the southern city of Basrah also saw a rare suicide attack, potentially conducted by […]
A suicide bomber killed at least five police officers when he rammed a car laden with explosives` into a compound in Basrah. The attack on 13 June also left several more people injured. Suicide bombings are a favoured tactic of violent jihadi and predominantly Sunni terrorist organisations. This bracket includes groups such as the Islamic […]
Overview Levels of violence rose considerably in Iraq last week, making it the worst week so far this year. A spate of bombings in Baghdad, Mosul and Kirkuk left dozens of people dead and injured. The police and military suffered the majority of attacks, but Iraqi oil workers, US soldiers and even three European civilian […]
The Kurdistan Region's police chief said his office has proposed to recruit an additional 3,000 new policemen. Abdullah Khaylani told AKnews that the Kurdistan Interior Ministry agreed to the proposal, and it is currently being discussed in the regional Council of Ministers. The Council will respond to the demand after the ratification of the Kurdistan […]
Iraq may not be able to protect its oil facilities because of a shortage of equipment and trained oil police, despite intelligence suggesting new attacks on the vital sector, according to Major General Hamid Ibrahim, head of Iraq's oil protection force. Reuters quotes him as blaming al Qaeda for recent attacks on the Baiji [Bayji, […]
With unrest in several Arab cities, many in the region are worried about the risk of contagion. The latest flashpoints are Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, Jordan and Algeria; but is Iraq vulnerable as well? The people certainly have a lot to complain about. Electricity The heat and increased use of air conditioning put a major strain […]
Overview Last week saw considerable violence in Iraq, particularly in Baghdad. There was also a spate of attacks in Mosul and two especially bloody bombings in Karbala. Over 100 fatalities and up to 250 injuries were recorded in total around the country. There was also an increase in targeted shootings in the capital, resuming a […]
Overview Last week was one of the most violent in Iraq for several months. Over 120 people were killed and several hundred injured in a spate of suicide attacks. The total number of attacks reported did not significantly increase, but with at least seven of the attacks involving suicide bombers in very crowded areas it […]
Four people, including three children, were kidnapped by criminals then freed by the authorities in Iraq last week. In recent months consular warnings have continued to remind foreign nationals of the risk of abduction still present in the country. With a rise in foreigners travelling to the country it may only be a matter of […]
The deputy Iraqi interior minister said the Iraqi Council of Ministers has agreed to recruit 200,000 policemen and interior ministry staff to increase security in Baghdad province. Hussein Kamal told AKnews that the new force will be deployed in Baghdad upon the ratification of the Iraqi general budget. The force will approximately double the number […]
Overview Last week saw a rise in the number of attacks taking place in Iraq. Militant activity was concentrated in the centre of the country and in the northern city of Mosul. There were at least three suicide bombings in Anbar and Ninawa provinces while a Kurdish civilian was reportedly kidnapped in Kirkuk. As warned […]
