2. Security situation and conflict impact on civilians by governoratecivilians by governorate
2.7 Salah Al-Din
2.7.4 Recent security trends
Developments August 2020 - October 2021
Throughout the reference period, the UN Secretary-General continued to report that ISIL remnants frequently carried out asymmetric attacks against the Iraqi people and security forces, especially in Anbar, Baghdad, Diyala, Kirkuk, Ninewa and Salah Al-Din
governorates.1605 In August 2021, an escalation of ISIL attacks was reported for the areas between Salah Al-Din, Kirkuk and Diyala.1606 In an October 2021 blog post, Joel Wing referred to Salah Al-Din as a major target during ISIL’s summer 2021 offensive. For August 2021 alone, he referred to 31 ISIL-related incidents in the governorate, which again sharply declined in September 2021 with eight such incidents. According to Wing, the insurgent group holds a presence in the governorate, that manifests itself mostly during spring and summer
campaigns.1607 Serious ISIL attacks that caused numerous deaths and/or injuries of security personnel as well as civilians in Salah Al-Din were, however, also reported during autumn and winter 2020/2021.1608
As was already reported in 20191609 (for further details please see section 2.7.3 of EASO’s report on the security situation in Iraq from October 2020), villagers, farmers, and community
1602 Knights, M. and Almeida, A., Remaining and Expanding: The Recovery of Islamic State Operations in Iraq in 2019-2020, May 2020, url, pp. 16; 23
1603 Remnants of ISIL in Iraq have reportedly established 11 sectors in what it calls its Wilayat (Province of) Iraq in accordance with its organizational structure. See map of 11 ‘sectors’: Al-Hashimi, H., ISIS in Iraq: From Abandoned Villages to the Cities, Newlines Institute for Strategy and Policy, 5 May 2020, url
1604 Al-Hashimi, H., ISIS in Iraq: From Abandoned Villages to the Cities, Newlines Institute for Strategy and Policy, 5 May 2020, url
1605 UNSG, Implementation of resolution 2576 (2021) [S/2021/946], 11 November 2021, url, para. 19; UNSG, Implementation of resolution 2576 (2021) [S/2021/700], 3 August 2021, url, para. 16; UNSG, Implementation of resolution 2522 (2020) [S/2021/426], 4 May 2021, url, para. 17; UNSG, Implementation of resolution 2522 (2020) [S/2021/120], 8 February 2021, url, para. 18; UNSG, Implementation of resolution 2522 (2020) [S/2020/1099], 10 November 2020, url, para. 26
1606 MEMO, Daesh militants attack oilfield in Iraq's Kirkuk, 15 August 2021, url; AA, Daesh/ISIS militants attack oilfield in Iraq’s Kirkuk, 15 August 2021, url
1607 Wing, J., Islamic State Ends It Summer Offensive In Iraq, Musings on Iraq [Blog], 4 October 2021, url
1608 For examples of such ISIL-related incidents, see Al Jazeera, Deadly ISIL attack north of Baghdad sparks anger, 22 November 2020, url; EPIC, ISHM: January 28 – February 4, 2021, 4 February 2021, url; EPIC, ISHM: January 21 – January 28, 2021, 28 January 2021, url; EPIC, ISHM: November 19 – December 3, 2020, 3 December 2020, url;
EPIC, ISHM: November 12 – November 19, 2020, 19 November 2020, url
1609 USDOD, Operation Inherent Resolve – Lead Inspector General Report to the United States Congress, January 1, 2019 - March 31, 2019, 7 May 2019, url, p. 46
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leaders continued to be targeted by the insurgent group during the reference period.1610 ACLED data indicates that ISIL was involved in 90 incidents as ‘Actor1’ in Salah Al-Din governorate between August 2020 and October 2021. These incidents reportedly caused 125 fatalities in total. 20 of these security incidents involved acts against civilians, in sum causing 31 fatalities.1611 IED attacks were reported in various districts of the governorate throughout the reference period.1612 International coalition (supply) convoys proved to be a popular target of such IED attacks.1613
Following continued ISIL activity, including in parts of Salah Al-Din governorate, the ISF have launched several major coordinated counter-terrorism military operations in response.1614 An anti-ISIL operation was announced in the Makhoul and Khanouka mountain ranges in the governorate’s north in November 2020. In the course of the operation, which involved the ISF, PMU and federal police, airstrikes and searches were conducted, tunnels destroyed, and weapons seized.1615 In February 2021, the so-called ‘Lions of al-Jazeera’ operation was
announced, which targeted ISIL remnants in Salah Al-Din, Al-Anbar and Ninewa and involved the SDOC, Army Brigade 91, PMU Brigades 51, 21, 6 and 35, and Salah Al-Din SWAT regiment and Salah Al-Din Emergency Police regiment.1616 This search operation was reported to cover an area of 150 square kilometres in total.1617 In June 2021, the start of the second part of the ten-pronged ‘Lions of al-Jazeera’ operation was announced.1618
In a March 2021 interview, Salah Al-Din’s tribal council chief mentioned a tense atmosphere between the local communities and Shiite-led PMU, referring to five recent attacks in the Tikrit area, which left dozens of villagers dead but remained unsolved despite the establishment of an investigative committee. The tribal council chief expressed serious doubts regarding ISIL’s involvement in all these incidents.1619 In October 2020, it was reported that eight people had been executed and four others kidnapped in Farhatiya in Balad district. The incident
prompted an investigation by the Ministerial Council for National Security. Initially, unknown militants were mentioned as being the perpetrators. The following days, however, PMU Brigade 42, associated with Asa’ib Ahl Al-Haq, declared ISIL responsible for the crime,1620
1610 EPIC, ISHM: August 12 – August 19, 2021, 19 August 2021, url; EPIC, ISHM: March 18 – March 25, 2021, 25 March 2021, url; EPIC, ISHM: April 1 – April 8, 2021, 8 April 2021, url; Al-Monitor, Islamic State increases attacks in Iraq’s Sunni areas, 1 December 2020, url
1611 EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, ACLED Data Export Tool, Iraq, 1 August 2020 - 31 October 2021, url
1612 EPIC, ISHM: September 30 – October 7, 2021, 7 October 2021, url; EPIC, ISHM: January 21 – January 28, 2021, 28 January 2021, url; EPIC, ISHM: November 19 – December 3, 2020, 3 December 2020, url; EPIC, ISHM:
September 24 – October 1, 2020, 1 October 2020, url; EPIC, ISHM: August 27 – September 3, 2020, 3 September 2020, url; EPIC, ISHM: August 20 – August 27, 2020, 27 August 2020, url;
1613 EPIC, ISHM: July 1 – July 8, 2021, 8 July 2021, url; EPIC, ISHM: June 24 – July 1, 2021, 1 July 2021, url; EPIC, ISHM: June 10 – June 17, 2021, 17 June 2021, url; EPIC, ISHM: May 20 – May 27, 2021, 27 May 2021, url; EPIC, ISHM: April 29 – May 6, 2021, 6 May 2021, url; EPIC, ISHM: April 15 – April 22, 2021, 22 April 2021, url; EPIC, ISHM:
April 8 – April 15, 2021, 15 April 2021, url; EPIC, ISHM: March 25 – April 1, 2021, 1 April 2021, url; EPIC, ISHM: March 18 – March 25, 2021, 25 March 2021, url; EPIC, ISHM: December 24, 2020 – January 7, 2021, 7 January 2021, url;
EPIC, ISHM: September 17 – September 24, 2020, 24 September 2020, url; EPIC, ISHM: September 10 – September 17, 2020, 17 September 2020, url; see also UNSG, Implementation of resolution 2576 (2021) [S/2021/700], 3 August 2021, url, para. 19
1614 UNSG, Implementation of resolution 2576 (2021) [S/2021/700], 3 August 2021, url, para. 16
1615 EPIC, ISHM: November 5 – November 12, 2020, 12 November 2020, url
1616 Shafaq News, Joint Operations Command reveals the circumstances of “Lions of al-Jazeera”, 1 February 2021, url; see also EPIC, ISHM: January 28 – February 4, 2021, 4 February 2021, url
1617 Diyaruna, Iraq launches campaign to secure western desert, 18 May 2021, url
1618 INA, SMC: the second Operation Lions of Al-Jazeera has launched, 15 June 2021, url
1619 Al-Monitor, Flurry of Sunni Triangle ops sparks questions over Islamic State, 15 March 2021, url
1620 EPIC, ISHM: October 15 – October 22, 2020, 22 October 2020, url
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while others, including Salah Al-Din’s governor, blamed Brigade 42 itself for the attack1621. In May 2021, the USDOS stated that the families of the victims claimed that Brigade 42 was responsible for the crime.1622
Security incidents
Between August 2020 and October 2021, ACLED reported 125 battles, 131 incidents of explosions/remote violence and 28 cases of violence against civilians, accounting for a total of 284 security incidents in Salah Al-Din governorate, the majority taking place in Balad district, followed by Samarra district.1623 The evolution of all types of security events in the reference period is shown in figure 21 below.
Figure 16: Evolution of security events coded battles, explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians in Salah Al-Din governorate 1 August 2020 – 31 October 2021, based on ACLED data1624
1621 EPIC, ISHM: October 15 – October 22, 2020, 22 October 2020, url; USDOS, Attacks on Civilians in Salah al-Din Governorate, Iraq, 19 October 2020, url
1622 USDOS, International Religious Freedom Report 2020 - Iraq, 12 May 2021, url, p. 9
1623 EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, ACLED Data Export Tool, 1 August 2020 – 31 October 2021, 10 November 2021, url
1624 EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, ACLED Data Export Tool, 1 August 2020 – 31 October 2021, 10 November 2021, url
192 Illustrative examples of incidents
• In an ISIL attack on a PMU checkpoint manned by AAH southwest of Balad on 16 October 2020, one AAH member was killed and another one wounded. The following day, another four PMU members were killed in a nearby ISIL attack.1625
• On 21 November 2020, a suspected ISIL ambush killed nine1626 or ten1627 people in Al-Zouiya, north of Tikrit. According to reports, the attackers initially targeted a civilian vehicle and killed three1628 or four1629 civilians. When members of the Iraqi police and PMU arrived, they came under fire, resulting in the deaths of four PMU members and two police officers. Although ISIL did not claim responsibility for the attack, Iraqi security forces attributed the attack to the insurgent group.1630
• At least 11 PMU members were killed, including the commander of the 6th regiment of PMU Brigade 22, in two ISIL suicide bombings near Tikrit on 24 January 2021.
Between eight1631 and twelve1632 PMU members were wounded in the attack.1633
• On 31 January 2021, an explosion in the Tooz Khurmatu district killed one person and wounded another, according to Iraqi police sources.1634
• On 11 March 2021, eight people, including six members of a family, were killed in three separate ISIL-attacks in Albu-Dour, a Sunni-majority village in southern Salah Al-Din.
Among the victims of the attacks were women, a policeman and a lawyer, as well as people that ISIL accused of spying.1635 According to a security source, one of the perpetrators was a former resident of the village who had been expelled from it due to his affiliation with ISIL.1636
• On 3 April 2021, ISIL fighters abducted four fishermen northeast of Tikrit; they later released two of the abductees and executed the other two. In the aftermath of the incident, tribal mobilization fighters clashed with the group suspected of being responsible for the killings, leaving three of them wounded.1637
• On 22 May 2021, ISIL militants killed Majid Al-Obeidi, a tribal leader in Salah Al-Din province. The militants reportedly entered Al-Obeidi’s home and shot him during a brief firefight in which one of the attackers was killed as well.1638
1625 EPIC, ISHM: October 15 – October 22, 2020, 22 October 2020, url
1626 GardaWorld, Iraq: Islamic State ambush reported in Salah al Din governorate November 21, 21 November 2021, url
1627 Al Jazeera, Deadly ISIL attack north of Baghdad sparks anger, 22 November 2020, url
1628 GardaWorld, Iraq: Islamic State ambush reported in Salah al Din governorate November 21, 21 November 2021, url
1629 Al Jazeera, Deadly ISIL attack north of Baghdad sparks anger, 22 November 2020, url
1630 GardaWorld, Iraq: Islamic State ambush reported in Salah al Din governorate November 21, 21 November 2021, url; Al Jazeera, Deadly ISIL attack north of Baghdad sparks anger, 22 November 2020, url
1631 EPIC, ISHM: January 21 – January 28, 2021, 28 January 2021, url
1632 Kurdistan24, Suspected ISIS attack leaves 11 PMF fighters dead, 12 injured in Iraq’s Salahuddin, 24 January 2021, url
1633 EPIC, ISHM: January 21 – January 28, 2021, 28 January 2021, url; see also Kurdistan24, Suspected ISIS attack leaves 11 PMF fighters dead, 12 injured in Iraq’s Salahuddin, 24 January 2021, url
1634 EPIC, ISHM: January 28 – February 4, 2021, 4 February 2021, url
1635 CNN, ISIS behind brutal attack in Salah al-Din province, Iraq military says, 14 March 2021, url; Al-Monitor, Flurry of Sunni Triangle ops sparks questions over Islamic State, 15 March 2021, url; EPIC, ISHM: March 11 – March 18, 2021, 18 March 2021, url
1636 EPIC, ISHM: March 11 – March 18, 2021, 18 March 2021, url
1637 EPIC, ISHM: April 1 – April 8, 2021, 8 April 2021, url
1638 EPIC, ISHM: May 20 – May 27, 2021, 27 May 2021, url
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• On 30 July 2021, a suspected ISIL attack on a funeral procession killed between five1639 and eight1640 people and wounded at least 19 others.1641 The attack reportedly sparked renewed debate about security in the predominantly Sunni areas that are mainly controlled by Shia PMU.1642
• On 30 September 2021, unidentified gunmen killed three people in an attack on a house in the Qasr Al-Ashiq area of Samarra.1643
• On 7 October 2021, unidentified assailants ‘lobbed a hand grenade at an election rally in Baiji district’ which left one child dead and five others injured.1644
2.7.5 Civilian casualties
The number of armed conflict related incidents1645 and civilian casualties in the governorate recorded by UNAMI for the period 1 August 2020 – 31 October 2021, is shown in table 11 below.
Table 11: Number of armed conflict related incidents and civilian casualties 1 August 2020 – 31 October 2021, Salah Al-Din governorate1646
2.7.6 Infrastructure damage and explosive remnants of war
As outlined in EASO’s report on the security situation in Iraq from October 2020 (see section 2.7.3), Salah Al-Din was one of the governorates with particularly high scores of infrastructure damage as a result of conflict, especially in relation to damage to housing,1647 to the
agricultural sector,1648 and to the water, sanitation and hygiene sectors.1649 According to a 2018 study conducted by the Iraqi government in collaboration with the World Bank, damages to the housing sector in Salah Al-Din governorate amounted to 20 % of the share of total housing damage. The governorate sustained the highest percentage of destruction to rural
1639 GardaWorld, Iraq: Bombing kills at least five people, wounds as many as 25 others in Yathrib, Salah al-Din Governorate, July 30, 30 July 2021, url
1640 INA, Terrorist Attack on Funeral South of Salah Al-Din Kills 8, Wounds 19 Citizens, 31 July 2021, url
1641 INA, Terrorist Attack on Funeral South of Salah Al-Din Kills 8, Wounds 19 Citizens, 31 July 2021, url; GardaWorld, Iraq: Bombing kills at least five people, wounds as many as 25 others in Yathrib, Salah al-Din Governorate, July 30, 30 July 2021, url; ACLED, ACLED-Religion Overview, 24-30 July 2021, 6 August 2021, url
1642 ACLED, ACLED-Religion Overview, 24-30 July 2021, 6 August 2021, url
1643 EPIC, ISHM: September 30 – October 7, 2021, 7 October 2021, url
1644 EPIC, ISHM: September 30 – October 7, 2021, 7 October 2021, url
1645 The number of incidents provided by UNAMI-HRO indicates only those related to armed conflict which had directly impacted civilians (causing civilian casualties) and properties and protected areas of civilian nature (such as, civilian houses, cropland, schools, health facilities and mosques). Please refer to the section Sources of this report’s Introduction for more information on UNAMI’s methodology.
1646 UNAMI, Email to EUAA, 11 November 2021
1647 World Bank (The), Iraq Reconstruction and Investment – Part 2 Damage and Needs Assessment of Affected Governorates, January 2018, url, p. 15
1648 World Bank (The), Iraq Reconstruction and Investment – Part 2 Damage and Needs Assessment of Affected Governorates, January 2018, url, pp. XVIII-XIX
1649 World Bank (The), Iraq Reconstruction and Investment – Part 2 Damage and Needs Assessment of Affected Governorates, January 2018, url, p. 94
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housing assets across the seven governorates affected by conflict, which were assessed.1650 In September 2021, an inter-agency mission to Baiji district assessed that 80 % of buildings were destroyed during the conflict against ISIL and that the reconstruction needs of the district equalled those of Mosul.1651
Based on data last updated in August 2020, the Directorate of Mine Action (DMA) reported the area contaminated by explosive remnants of war (ERW) in the governorate as 77 865 968 square metres and the area being contaminated by IEDs as 8 6777 016 square meters.1652 According to a January 2021 report, Salah Al-Din, Anbar, Ninewa, and Kirkuk were the most affected by ‘new’ mine contamination due to post-2003 internal conflict and ISIL occupation in 2014-2017.1653 As of April 2021, it was reported that schools, houses and public
infrastructure had been rebuilt in Salah Al-Din under a UNDP stabilisation program, following an effective demining effort. However, in other areas such as Baiji, there were still major challenges due to continued substantial levels of contamination from explosives.1654 In Salah Al-Din governorate, demining remained a challenge due to the volatile security situation, particularly in the Hamrin mountain region, where ISIL reportedly still held a presence.
Humanitarian workers reportedly faced the risk of being targeted when conducting mine action activities. In addition, conditions in disputed areas were restricting demining operations.1655
The governorate’s population continued to struggle with water infrastructure damaged by the conflicts of the past 20 years, parts of which have still not been rebuilt. In many areas, water treatment plants were destroyed and access to clean drinking water remained irregular. The problematic, irregular power supply exacerbated these issues by curbing the use of water pumps. As a result of these shortages, land disputes have reportedly increased in the southern part of the governorate close to water sources, causing further instability.1656 Throughout the reference period, several IED and missile attacks on electricity or oil infrastructure were documented in Salah Al-Din: ISIL had claimed responsibility or been blamed for some of these attacks;1657 for others, it remained unclear who was responsible1658. In July 2021, a high-level security source accused PMU of being responsible for the attacks on power pylons.1659 Especially for the period between June and August 2021, several IED
attacks targeted various power pylons, among others in Samarra district, Al-Shirqat district and Hamrin region.1660 During the reference period, two attacks were reported targeting
1650 World Bank Group, Iraq Reconstruction and Investment – Part 2 Damage and Needs Assessment of Affected Governorates, January 2018, url, p. 15
1651 UNOCHA, [Twitter], posted on: 16 September 2021, url
1652 iMMAP, Recorded Explosive Ordnance Contamination in Iraq - Overall (DMA) – 27 August 2020, 3 September 2020, url
1653 ACAPS, Iraq: Mine action, 22 January 2021, url, p. 2
1654 UNDP, In Salah al Din and Anbar: Rebuilding comes after mine clearance, 4 April 2021, url
1655 ACAPS, Iraq: Mine action, 22 January 2021, url, p. 4-5
1656 UNOCHA, Iraq: Humanitarian Bulletin, May 2021, url, p. 2
1657 USDOD, Operation Inherent Resolve – Lead Inspector General Report to the United States Congress, April 1, 2021 – June 30, 2021, 3 August 2021, url, p. 14; GardaWorld, Iraq: Rocket attack targets Salah al Din Thermal Power Station in Samarra late June 27, 27 June 2021, url; EPIC, ISHM: November 19 – December 3, 2020, 3 December 2020, url; Al Jazeera, Rocket attack causes fire at oil refinery in northern Iraq, 29 November 2020, url
1658 AA, Missile attack targets oil company in northern Iraq, 31 July 2021, url; EPIC, ISHM: August 5 – August 12, 2021, 12 August 2021, url; EPIC, ISHM: June 24 – July 1, 2021, 1 July 2021, url
1659 INN, ي ناريإ رمأب ةيئابرهكلا جاربلأا ريجفت ءارو ي نعشلا دشحلا ايشيليم : ي نمأ ردصم [Security source: PMU is behind the blowing up of power pylons by order of Iran], 1 July 2021, url
1660 EPIC, ISHM: June 17 – June 24, 2021, 24 June 2021, url; EPIC, ISHM: June 24 – July 1, 2021, 1 July 2021, url;
EPIC, ISHM: August 5 – August 12, 2021, 12 August 2021, url; EPIC, ISHM: July 22 – August 5, 2021, 5 August 2021, url; see also USDOD, Operation Inherent Resolve – Lead Inspector General Report to the United States Congress, April 1, 2021 – June 30, 2021, 3 August 2021, url, p. 14
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military facilities in the governorate, namely Balad Air Base and Camp Speicher north of Tikrit.1661