Updating you on what is happening in Iraq

Posted: 10/02/2015

Iraq is changing on a daily basis and this is the latest information from the country. RPS brings you an update of what is going on there behind the scenes, provided by our RPS consultant who has just returned from Northern Iraq.

ISF - Iraqi Security Forces, IS Islamic State, SAF - Small Arms Fire, VBIED - Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device

The Grand Sheikh of al-Azhar University in Cairo – one of Sunni Islam’s leading centres of learning – has condemned the murder of First-Lieutenant Moaz al-Kasabeh as “deviant” and IS as “satanic”.   Abu Sayaf, a Jordanian cleric who spent nearly 10 years incarcerated in his home country for extremist activity, has also been outspoken in his criticism of the organisation.  This came on the same day that the United Nations (UN) Committee on the Rights of the Child published a report accusing IS of systematic child abuse, to include the routine sale of youngsters into slavery and the sex industry and their murder.

Northern Iraq

The US military has strengthened its search and rescue capability in northern Iraq.  This comes amid rumours that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has grounded its aircraft involved in the international effort against IS due to concerns that recovery assets are currently too far removed from the battlefield.  It would appear that the loss of First-Lieutenant Moaz al-Kasabeh has focused coalition minds.

What were described as “hundreds” gathered peacefully outside the US Consulate in Irbil, in the Kurdish Region, to condemn purported abuses committed against the Sunni population in northeastern Diyala by probable Shi’a militias.  This follows claims that 70 or more Sunni civilians were murdered by a militia group in northeastern Diyala on 26 January, as the operation to clear the villages just to the north of Muqdadiyah was drawing to a close.

In Diyala, ISF fought off an IS attack against al-Imam village, north of Muqdadiyah whilst it was also reported that Peshmerga troops clashed with IS on the outskirts of Jamilah village, Jalawlah district, killing four insurgents.

To the west ISF and militia volunteers clashed with IS near the al-Nu'man crossing on the 'Uzaym River between Diyala and Salah al-Din in al-'Athim, leaving four insurgents dead.

West of Tikrit in Salah ad Din Province, a suicide VBIED detonated against a police checkpoint, killing seven policemen and wounding four others and south of Baiji IPS fought off an IS attack killing 22 insurgents while eight policemen were killed. Another IS attack south of Baiji left 20 insurgents dead.

In the northern districts of Salah ad Din IS publically beheaded a man and his wife at a market in al-Sharqat and were also reported as kidnapping as many as 40 civilians, accusing them of promoting recruitment for the volunteer forces.

In the northern most province of Ninevah Coalition aircraft struck a number of IS targets and concentrations, killing scores of insurgents including senior leaders.

Coalition aircraft carried out a strike against a poultry farm in the Gogjali area, on the eastern edge of Mosul, believed to be taken by IS as a weapon storage facility - separately it was reported that IS has forcibly removed residents, tradesmen and other workers from the industrial district in al-Gogjali, eastern Mosul, and given the area over to the manufacture of heavy weaponry and rockets that will be used to counter any attempt to recapture the city. In what remains unconfirmed reporting, large quantities of chemicals used in the manufacture of chlorine gas are said to have been misappropriated from the local Department of Water’s stores and other hardware brought in from looted regime arsenals in neighbouring Syria, to potentially include chemical blister agent.

Kurdish forces also bombarded IS positions and concentrations with artillery and MLRS in several areas to the northeast of Mosul including Nawaran, Barima, Sumaqiyah, al-Shallalat and Khorsibad – as many as 150 insurgents were reportedly killed as the shelling continued for 48 hours.

Finally executions in Mosul continued with IS executing five of its own members at Camp al-Ghizlani on the southwestern outskirts of Mosul and beheading four civilians in the 17 Tammouz area of northwestern Mosul, for having posted protests against the execution of the Jordanian pilot on Facebook.

Baghdad

Normal activity recorded in Baghdad over the reporting period with low level IEDs and UVIEDs detonating against civilian areas and targets. Elsewhere it was reported that a number of bodies were discovered throughout the city.

Flights to Iraq

Royal Jordanian, Turkish Airlines, MEA and Iraqi Airways are currently operating as normal with flights flying into and out of Baghdad International Airport (BIAP).

The UAE (and surrounding nations) Carriers (Emirates, Gulf Air, Etihad, Fly Dubai, Qatar Airways) are still suspended, and RPS recommends checking with them daily for any additional update.

Al Anbar

Clashes continued in the vicinity of Fallujah as ISF repulsed an IS attack against a field headquarters at an undisclosed location to the northeast of Fallujah, reportedly killing nine insurgents, destroying a 4WD vehicle and capturing two other vehicles.

In Ramadi much of the same was reported with clashes occurring as ISF fought off an IS attack against the provincial government complex in central Ramadi, claiming to have killed four insurgents.

Further north a suicide VBIED based on a boat was interdicted by guards at the Hadithah Dam gate as it attempted to approach and refused to stop, causing it to detonate prematurely – no casualties or damage reported.

Southern Iraq

Quiet in the southern provinces with only two reports. Hundreds of municipal workers and garbage truck drivers gathered in front of the Babel Provincial Council building in Hiilah, demanding their back-pay.

The body of a policeman was found with stab wounds to the chest and abdomen in Hayy al-'Askari, western Musayyib – the reason behind the murder was believed to be criminal

Basra

In Basra IPS made 19 arrests on criminal charges in various areas of the province, seizing narcotics and a pistol of Turkish manufacture.

Several occurrences of SAF in various areas of Basra City - although it is highly likely that it was in relation to a number of funerals for Shi’a militiamen repatriated from northern Iraq 0n 4 Feb - a large funeral was reported to have taken place in the al-Tuwaysah district of Basra City during the evening, probably accounting for some of the reported SAF.

Finally a "sound bomb", was found and cleared by ISF on Abu al-Aswah Street, off Kuwait Street, near the al-Khadra Market in al-Ashar, central Basra city.

With thanks to our consultant who has collated this information from local media sources as well as local security people.

Contact us at [email protected] for more information on travel to this region.

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