Hundreds of Iraqis Killed in US-Led Air Strikes and Attacks, Anbar Refugee Still Can't Go to their Villages, January 31, 2018

Hundreds of Iraqis Killed in US-Led Air Strikes and Attacks, Anbar Refugee Still Can't Go to their Villages

January 31, 2018

Editor's Note:

The following are just examples of news stories about the continuous Iraq war. Daily news stories can be accessed from the news sources listed below and others in the internet.


Site of a car bomb explosion in Taji, north of Baghdad, January 31, 2018	US-Led air strike on northern Iraq, file, January 31, 2018


A refugee camp for Al-Anbar Sunni Muslim Iraqis, whose cities and villages were destroyed in the war, January 31, 2018	A refugee camp for Al-Anbar Sunni Muslim Iraqis, whose cities and villages were destroyed in the war, January 31, 2018

The following are news stories from the independent Iraqi Arabic news agency, Yaqein ( http://yaqein.net/ ):

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Iraqi (Sunni Muslims) in Al-Anbar refugee camps live in bad humanitarian conditions, dream about returning to their destroyed cities and villages.

سكان المخيمات في الأنبار يحلمون بالعودة إلى دفئ منازلهم

30 يناير 2018

قسم التقارير- الأنبار

تتطلع العوائل الأنبارية الحبيسة في مخيمات النازحين في محافظة الأنبار، بالعودة إلى منازلهم، وإنهاء معاناتهم، والذل والمهانة التي يتعرضون لها في خيام النزوح، حتى باتت كوابيس الموت ترافق أحلامهم في خيام البرد والتشرد، والتي لا تحميهم من قساوة الظروف المناخية في الشتاء وحر الصيف اللهب.

ظروف الأُسَر النازحة في مخيمات الأنبار، أقل ما توصف بالكارثية تحت وعود حكومية بضمان كرامة المدنيين وحقوق الانسان التي طبقت على محاضر اجتماعات الساسة، ولونت رفوف مكاتبهم من دون تنفيذها على أرض الواقع.

حماس كبير لدى بعض الكتل السياسية لاستغلال العوائل النازحة قُبَيل الانتخابات المقبلة، عبر توزيع المدافئ والمفروشات “البطانيات”، لسرقة أصوات الناخبين، وشراء الذمم بطرق همجية غير إنسانية.

http://yaqein.net/reports/87165

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The following are news stories from a pro-Iraqi government website (http://www.iraqinews.com/), which usually reports those who are killed by Iraqi government attacks as Islamic State fighters, implying no civilians were killed by bombing residential neighborhoods:

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Policeman killed, another wounded while defusing booby-trapped house in Kirkuk

by Nehal Mostafa Jan 31, 2018, 3:06 pm

Kirkuk (IraqiNews.com)

A policeman was killed, while two others were wounded as a booby-trapped house exploded in west of Kirkuk, a security source from the province said on Wednesday.

“A local police personnel was killed and two others were injured as they were defusing explosives inside a booby-trapped house in al-Rashad town, southwest of Kirkuk,” the source told AlSumaria News. “Local police was clearing houses from the remnants of IS.”

“Security troops transferred the victim to forensic medicine department, while the wounded were transferred to hospital for treatment,” the source added.

On Monday, a booby-trapped house exploded in the evening in al-Kowaz village, west of Kirkuk, leaving a police conscript killed and another wounded, according to news reports.

According to the monthly release by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), a total of 69 civilians, excluding police personnel, were killed, while 142 others were wounded in December due to acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict across the country.

The worst affected province was Baghdad with 122 civilian casualties (24 killed, 98 injured). Salahuddin ranked the second place, with 7 killed and 25 injured, then Kirkuk came third with 15 killed and 6 injured.

The figures saw a significant decline from November’s which reached a total of 117 Iraqi civilians killed and another 264 injured.

3298 civilians were killed and 4781 others were wounded in 2017, excluding Anbar civilian casualty figures for November and December, which are not available, the report added.

Explosion leaves three people dead, injured in Baghdad

by Mohammed Ebraheem Jan 31, 2018, 12:03 pm

Report AdBaghdad (Iraqinews.com) –

A civilian was killed and two others were wounded Wednesday in a bomb blast in northern the Iraqi capital Baghdad, a security source was quoted as saying.

Speaking to Alghad Press news website, the source said: “A bomb exploded Wednesday near a popular market at al-Taji neighborhood, north of Baghdad, leaving one person dead and two others injured.”

“A security force rushed to the blast site and carried the body to the forensic medicine department, while the injured were moved to a nearby hospital for treatment,” the source added.

Violence in the country has surged further with the emergence of Islamic State extremist militants who proclaimed an “Islamic Caliphate” in Iraq and Syria in 2014.

The surge in violence between armed groups and government forces has resulted in over 3 million internally displaced persons across Iraq and left more than 11 million in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The Iraqi capital has seen almost daily bombings and armed attacks against security members, paramilitary troops and civilians since the Iraqi government launched a wide-scale campaign to retake Islamic State-occupied areas in 2016. Though most of the daily bombings go without a claim of responsibility, Islamic State has declared it had been behind many.

Two Islamic State suicide bombers killed in Kirkuk military operation

by Mohammed Ebraheem Jan 31, 2018, 9:29 am

Kirkuk (Iraqinews.com) –

Security force killed on Wednesday two Islamic State suicide bombers and arrested three others during a military operation in western Kirkuk, a security source was quoted as saying.

Speaking to Alghad Press news website, the source said, “Federal police personnel shot dead two Islamic State suicide attackers during a clampdown to track down Islamic State remnants at a village in Hawija, 45 km west of Kirkuk.”

“The troops also arrested three Islamic State militants and found a terrorist hotbed, comprising explosive materials and mobile phones,” the source added.

He pointed out security forces will continue to assume their duties on a daily basis until purging all Iraqi territories from Islamic State remnants.

In October, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared that Iraqi troops recaptured Hawija, a main town held by Islamic State in the country.

The town fell to Islamic State in June 2014, when the militant group seized control of much of northern and western Iraq and proclaimed the creation of a self-styled “caliphate”. There, Islamic State’s reign forced thousands to flee to refugee camps, while hundreds had been executed by the group for attempting to escape the area or contacting security forces.

Hawija, which lies 215 km (135 miles) north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, has been a bastion of Jihadists since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Policeman killed in bomb explosion, U.S-Coalition bombards Islamic State locations in Mosul

by Nehal Mostafa Jan 30, 2018, 3:20 pm

Nineveh (IraqiNews.com)

A policeman was killed in a bomb explosion that took place in south of Mosul, a security source was quoted saying on Tuesday.

“A bomb targeting a patrol of local police exploded in Hammam al-Alil, south of Mosul, leaving a policeman killed,” the source told Mawazin News.

In related news, the U.S.-led Coalition jets shelled on Tuesday locations of Islamic State members in south of Mosul, Shafaq News reported.

A security source said the coalition’s jets and artillery bombarded, from Qayyarah base, some IS locations in al-Mareer village, south of Mosul.

Meanwhile, BasNews quoted other sources as saying that IS members returned to some regions in south of Mosul.

On Monday, the he National Iraqi News Agency quoted sources saying that Iraqi jets, backed by the U.S.-led Coalition, managed to kill ten IS members while sneaking into al-Hawija village, south of Mosul.

Islamic State continues to launch sporadic attacks across Iraq against troops. Security reports indicate that the militant group still poses threat against stability in the country.

Last week, Iraqi army forces launched a clearing operation against IS militants based on intelligence information with support from the United States-led international coalition in “Jozor al-Makhlat” (islands) in Nineveh.

Thousands of IS militants as well as Iraqi civilians were killed since the government campaign, backed by paramilitary troops and the coalition, was launched in October 2016 to fight the militant group.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi declared in July victory over IS militants who had held the second largest Iraqi city since 2014.

Iraqi officer apparently wounded in U.S.-led coalition strike dies

by Mohamed Mostafa Jan 30, 2018, 10:36 am

Anbar (IraqiNews.com) An Iraqi officer who sustained wounds in an apparent friendly fire from a United States-led coalition strike has died, a source was quoted saying.

Iraqi website Shafaq News quoted a security source in Anbar saying that al-Baghdadi district police chief in Anbar province, Col. Abdul-Salam al-Obaidi, died Monday after succumbing to his injuries.

Iraq’s military command said an armed group was bombarded by U.S.-led coalition warplanes early Saturday in Anbar, a few hours after news reports said the jets mistakenly hit a local police officer and civilians.

The Joint Operations Command’s War Media Cell said that coalition warplanes struck an “armed group” in al-Baghdadi region, west of the province during a hunt for a terrorist element.

“The JOC possessed accurate intelligence information about the presence of a terrorist leader, Karim al-Samarmad, at a house in Baghdadi for a meeting preparing for an attack against security forces and citizens”, the command said in a statement.

It added that army forces, backed by coalition jets, moved to the area. Finishing the collection of evidence, the forces pulled back, only to detect “a gathering of gunmen”, which “aircraft targeted without coordination with the assigned force”, as the statement put it.

The statement did not mention the presence of civilians or security officials among that gathering, but earlier news reports said Baghdadi district’s police and the areas’ mayor were wounded in the strike, while at least seven civilians were killed.

The JOC said it was opening an investigation into the incident.

Iraqi forces have been backed by U.S.-led coalition warplanes since 2014 in their war against Islamic State militants. The coalition had admitted mistakenly killing hundreds of civilians in the process.

Six security personnel killed, wounded in armed attack, house explosion in Kirkuk

by Nehal Mostafa Jan 29, 2018, 11:15 pm

Kirkuk (IraqiNews.com)

Six security personnel were killed and injured in a house explosion and armed attack that targeted a checkpoint in Kirkuk, security sources said.

“An armed attack launched by unidentified gunmen against a checkpoint of Tribal Mobilization Forces in al-Rashad town, south of Kirkuk, leaving one personnel killed and three others wounded,” the source told Baghdad Today website on Monday.

The victim, according to the source, was taken to forensic medicine department, while the wounded were transferred to hospital.

In related news, a federal police conscript was killed, while another was wounded as booby-trapped house exploded, west of Kirkuk.

“A booby-trapped house exploded in the evening in al-Kowaz village, west of Kirkuk,” another source told Baghdad Today. “The explosion left a police conscript killed and another wounded.”

On Sunday, a source said gunmen killed a person from al-Rashad town called Oudai Saleh Ibrahim in al-Khadraa region, indicating information that this person is a member of the town’s municipal council.

The figures saw a significant decline from November’s which reached a total of 117 Iraqi civilians killed and another 264 injured.

3298 civilians were killed and 4781 others were wounded in 2017, excluding Anbar civilian casualty figures for November and December, which are not available, the report added.

Ten Islamic State members, attempting infiltration, killed, south of Mosul

by Nehal Mostafa Jan 29, 2018, 10:51 pm

Mosul (IraqiNews.com)

Ten Islamic State members were killed during an attempt to infiltrate into a region in south of Mosul, a security source was quoted saying on Monday.

“Iraqi jets, backed by the U.S.-led Coalition, managed to kill ten IS members while sneaking into al-Hawija village, where a wide scale campaign was launched last week leaving around 80 IS members killed and tens of others arrested,” the source told the National Iraqi News Agency.

“Security troops cordoned the whole village to start another operation after blocking all the exits,” according to the source.

Islamic State continues to launch sporadic attacks across Iraq against troops. Security reports indicate that the militant group still poses threat against stability in the country.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi declared in July victory over IS militants who had held the second largest Iraqi city since 2014. More than 25,000 Islamic State militants were killed throughout the campaign. Abadi announced in December full liberation of Iraqi lands, declaring end of war against IS members.

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The following are news stories from the US Department of Defense website (http://www.defense.gov/News) :

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US Officials Report Details of Latest Strikes Against ISIS in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Jan. 26, 2018 —

U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria between Jan. 19-25, conducting 60 strikes consisting of 93 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

CJTF-OIR officials reported that a significant precision strike involving exhaustive intelligence and observation to confirm ISIS concentrations and ensure no civilian casualties killed 145-150 ISIS in Iraq’s Middle Euphrates Valley Jan. 20.

In addition, officials reported details of the most recent strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

Yesterday in Syria, coalition military forces conducted six strikes consisting of 12 engagements against ISIS targets near Abu Kamal. The strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units and destroyed two ISIS supply routes, four fighting positions, a front-end loader, a road grader and an ISIS line of communication.

On Jan. 24, coalition military forces conducted 11 strikes consisting of 15 engagements against ISIS targets near Abu Kamal. The strikes engaged six ISIS tactical units and destroyed a front-end loader, two ISIS supply routes, four fighting positions and an ISIS line of communication.

On Jan. 23, coalition military forces conducted six strikes consisting of 10 engagements against ISIS targets near Abu Kamal. The strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed three pieces of ISIS construction equipment, three fighting positions and two ISIS supply routes.

On Jan. 22, coalition military forces conducted four strikes consisting of seven engagements against ISIS targets near Abu Kamal. The strikes engaged four ISIS tactical units and destroyed two ISIS supply routes, a command-and-control center and an ISIS-held building.

On Jan. 21, coalition military forces conducted 10 strikes consisting of 13 engagements against ISIS targets near Abu Kamal. The strikes engaged eight ISIS tactical units and destroyed a staging facility, two ISIS supply routes, a munitions storage site, an ISIS-held building, an ammunition truck and a fighting position.

On Jan. 20, coalition military forces conducted 12 strikes consisting of 19 engagements against ISIS targets near Abu Kamal. The strikes engaged 12 ISIS tactical units and destroyed two fighting positions, a staging facility, a vehicle-borne bomb, three weapons caches, two ISIS headquarters, an ISIS motorcycle, an ISIS construction vehicle and an ISIS-held building.

On Jan. 19, coalition military forces conducted seven strikes consisting of 13 engagements against ISIS targets near Abu Kamal. The strikes destroyed two ISIS supply routes, three ISIS equipment vehicles, six fighting positions, two ISIS vehicles and a command-and-control center.

Strikes in Iraq

There were no reported strikes in Iraq Jan. 23-25.

On Jan. 22, coalition military forces conducted a strike consisting of one engagement against ISIS targets near Qara Tapa. The strike destroyed an ISIS weapons cache.

On Jan. 21, coalition military forces conducted two strikes consisting of three engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Hawija, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a fighting position and an ISIS command-and-control center.

-- Near Rutbah, a strike destroyed two ISIS tactical vehicles.

On Jan. 20, coalition military forces conducted a strike consisting of one engagement against ISIS targets near Qayyarah. The strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit.

There were no reported strikes in Iraq on Jan. 19.

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