isw iraq sitreps: july 3-21, 2014

Iraq Situation Reports

July 3-21, 2014

ISW Iraq Team

Institute for the Study of War

Subscribe to Iraq SITREPs here:http://www.understandingwar.org/iraq-blog

Iraq Situation Report: July 3, 2014

Repercussions from the clashes between the ISF and the followers of Mahmoud al-Sarkhi continue to unfold. Sarkhi is a Shi’a cleric who positions himself as a marja‘a, or Shi’a religious authority, of Iraqi and Arab origin. This is seen as a direct challenge to Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. On June 26, Sarkhi criticized Sistani’s June 13 anti-ISIS fatwa. Sarkhi followers have clashed with U.S. forces in the past, in addition to engaging in skirmishes with the Iraqi Security Forces in the spring of 2012. Further clashes in the south are likely to stretch the ISF’s already limited resources, creating instability in areas that the ISF need to remain under control as they seek to focus on ISIS.

100km

Qaim9

by Ahmed Ali, ISW Iraq Team, and Nichole Dicharry

100km

Fallujah

Baqubah

As Sulaymaniyah

ArbilMosul

Basra

An Nasriyah

An Najaf

KarbalaAl Kut

Ar Ramadi

Samarra

Tikrit

Kirkuk

Baghdad

Dahuk

Al Amarah

Al Hillah

Ad Diwaniyah

Muqdadiyah

Samawa

Rutba

Qaim

Haditha

ISISISF

Followers of al-Sarkhi

Major CitiesMajor Clash

Kidnapping

Armed Drones

SVEST

4

1

7

3

26

1 According to an unnamed activist in Mosul, criminal activity, including kidnapping for ransom, is on the rise primarily in western Mosul. �e perception is that ISIS is not tackling this issue because it is prioritizing other missions. In general, reports indicate difficult living conditions in the city due to lack of payment for government officials since the fall of Mosul on June 10.

ISF ordnance teams are reportedly dismantling large numbers of IEDs emplaced by ISIS in the Salah ad-Din provincial government building in the southern outskirts of Tikrit.

2

On July 2, a suicide bomber wearing an SVEST attacked a Husseiniyya — a Shi’a religious center — in the Jihad neighborhood in southwestern Baghdad killing at least 5 individuals and injuring at least 13 others.

3

5

�e Iraqi Police in Babil arrested 28 armed Sarkhi supporters in Hilla who were reportedly inciting violence and calling on supporters to head to Karbala.

7

�e Iraqi Security Forces have besieged the neighborhoods of Saif Saad and Molhaq in southern Karbala city where Shi’a cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi and his followers have a strong presence. �e security forces are searching for Sarkhi who is believed to have taken shelter in one of these neighborhoods after the ISF burned his office and residence.

Forces from the 31st Brigade, 8th IA Division, FP, and popular committees launched an operation against ISIS in the areas of Buhairat, al-Ruaia, and Fadhliya, northern Babil. �e ISF used air assets and artillery in the operation.

5

�e IA and IP in Diyala, supported by IA Aviation and artillery, launched an operation in villages around the sub-district of Mansouriyah, located north of Muqdadiyah.

6

Raid

4


ISIS targeted the Baiji re�nery and IA positions south of Tikrit, likely to divert attention and resources from the ISF counter-o�ensive in Tikrit. Clashes and indirect �re continued in Samarra, indicating that ISIS has forces that can operate in the vicinity of Baiji, Tikrit, and Samarra simultaneously. There is also increased Iraqi Shi’a militia activity south of Baghdad. The protection of Mahmudiyah and Madaeen is a priority for the Iraqi Shi’a militias in order to prevent ISIS advance into Baghdad from the south, in addition to securing the shrines in Samarra and Karbala.

100km

Qaim9

by Ahmed Ali, ISW Iraq Team, and Aaron Reese

100km

Fallujah

Baqubah

As Sulaymaniyah

ArbilMosul

Basra

An Nasriyah

An Najaf

KarbalaAl Kut

Ar Ramadi

Samarra

Tikrit

Kirkuk

Baghdad

Dahuk

Al Amarah

Al Hillah

Ad Diwaniyah

Muqdadiyah

Samawa

Rutba

Qaim

Haditha

ISISISF

Unknown gunmen


AirstrikesKidnapping

SVBIED

Armed Drones

ISF and Militias

41

3

Forces from the Counter-Terrorism Services (CTS), 9th IA Division, and IA Aviation repelled an ISIS attack against the Baiji re�nery.

2

1

A Suicide Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (SVBIED) targeted a gathering of the Iraqi Army (IA) in the Dijla district, south of Tikrit. �e attack resulted in the death of 12 soldiers and injury of 27 soldiers.

2

Clashes took place in Samarra that resulted in the death of 10 ISIS members and the injury of two members of the Sadrist Peace Brigades (PB). �e source added that ISIS shelled PB Headquarters with mortars.

3

5

SU-25 jets bombed three locations in Hawijah southwest of Kirkuk, where ISIS members are believed to concentrate in order to “maintain weapons and prepare explosives.”

�e head of the Baghdad provincial council, Riyadh al-Adhadh, stated that there are cases of kidnappings and killings in Baghdad province, speci�cally in the areas of Mahmudiyah and Madaeen.

5

4


ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi delivered a public sermon in his proclaimed role as Caliph Ibrahim, the leader of the Islamic State, presenting a major challenge to al-Qaeda senior leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. The public appearance of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in Mosul and the destruction of shrines and mosques in Mosul and Tal Afar indicate that ISIS control in northern Iraq is uncontested. Meanwhile, ISIS went on the o�ensive against the ISF in Tikrit and Baiji, indicating that their northern campaign has not culminated. Additionally, ISIS projected explosive attacks in other provinces. The bridge attack in Ramadi likely aimed to isolate the ISF in Anbar in order to facilitate the capture of Ramadi, Haditha, and Hit. The VBIEDs in Basra demonstrate the far reach of ISIS and their capability to attack the Shi’a heartland while the ISF and Shi’a militias concentrate forces elsewhere.

100km

Qaim9

by ISW Iraq Team and Aaron Reese

100km

Fallujah

Baqubah

As Sulaymaniyah

ArbilMosul

Basra

An Nasriyah

An Najaf

KarbalaAl Kut

Ar Ramadi

Samarra

Tikrit

Kirkuk

Baghdad

Dahuk

Al Amarah

Al Hillah

Ad Diwaniyah

Muqdadiyah

Samawa

Rutba

Qaim

Haditha

ISISISF Major Cities

Major Clash

Armed Drones

Anti-ISIS TribesVBIEDExecution Shia militias

Basra

4

1

3

ISIS released a video of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi leading Friday prayers in a mosque described as the Grand Mosque, located in central Mosul. �is is his �rst known video appearance.

2

1

ISIS released images that illustrated the destruction of shrines and Shia mosques in the city of Mosul and in Tal Afar. Sala� Islamists believe that such shrines are representations of polytheism and should therefore be destroyed.

2

Security forces in Tikrit University, located north of Tikrit proper, reportedly repelled an attack by ISIS on the university.

4

5

Anti-ISIS tribal elements targeted an ISIS leader near the area of Rashad, south of Kirkuk. �e attack was successful in killing the ISIS �gure.

Two VBIEDs detonated sequentially in central Basra, resulting in the death of at least two individuals and the injury of at least six others.

8

6

ISIS launched an attack on the Baiji re�nery from two axes, initiating heavy clashes that lasted throughout the night. �e ISF is still in control of the facility.

3

ISIS targeted a strategic bridge in the area of Saqlawiah, northwest of Fallujah, using IEDs. �e bridge was on the highway that connected Baghdad to Ramadi.

5

�e IP found two unidenti�ed dead bodies in the area of Shula, northwestern Baghdad. �is was most likely the work of Iraqi Shia militias.

7

6

7

8

Iraq Situation Report: July 6-7, 2014

ISIS attacked the northwest Baghdad neighborhood of Kadhmiya for the second time in a week, this time employing an SVBIED. This indicates that ISIS can still attack heavily protected areas in Baghdad with vehicles. The attack upon the 6th IA Division commander west of Baghdad, indicates that anti-government forces in the area are conducting visual observation of ISF movements. Meanwhile, ISIS went on the o�ensive in Tikrit and also attacked ISF and Shi’a militia elements at Camp Speicher. It is unclear if ISIS attacked from within downtown Tikrit or from outside the city, but ISIS is still able to go on the o�ensive in the north. Nevertheless, ISIS is meeting with resistance from some tribes in northern Salah ad-Din as they attempt to enter new villages. The ISF response to ISIS now includes airstrikes against bridges deep within ISIS control zones, such as the Zab Triangle connecting northern Salah ad-Din to Hawija. The precision of the airstrike against a bridge in this zone indicates that the pilot of the SU-25 was likely Russian or Iranian. The overt activities of Shi’a militias in northern Babil indicate that Jurf al-Sakhar may become a principal attack zone as ISIS and Shi’a militias face o� directly. The task organization of multiple Shi’a militia groups and Federal Police to protect Samarra demonstrates orchestrated role management.

100km

Qaim9

by ISW Iraq Team, and Heather L. Pickerell

100km

Fallujah

Baqubah

As Sulaymaniyah

ArbilMosul

Basra

An Nasriyah

An Najaf

KarbalaAl Kut

Ar Ramadi

Samarra

Tikrit

Kirkuk

Baghdad

Dahuk

Al Amarah

Al Hillah

Ad Diwaniyah

Muqdadiyah

Samawa

Rutba

Qaim

Haditha

ISISISF

Unknown gunmen

Major Cities

Major Clash

Airstrikes

SVBIED Shi’a militiasSVEST

7

1

On July 7, an airstrike targeted the Rashedeya area, north of Mosul, killing and injuring 40 individuals and damaging 20 houses, prompting 75 Turkmen families to �ee the area.

1

8

6

23

5

4

On July 6, ISIS launched an attack on Camp Speicher, west of Tikrit, where IA, CTS, and Iraqi Shi’a militias are positioned.

2

On July 7, heavy clashes took place between ISIS and tribal elements from the villages of Zowiya and Mishak in northern Salah ad-Din after ISIS attempted to enter the villages.

3

6 On July 6, an SU-25 aircraft targeted a bridge connecting Zab, south of Kirkuk, to an area north of Salah ad-Din.

On July 6, the Babil local government announced that it will create a 50 km sand berm extending from the Owissat area in northern Babil to the Razaza Lake. �e berm is intended to disrupt ISIS supply lines. Also, a local government o�cial stated that Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq (AAH), Katai’b Hizb Allah, and Abu Fadhil al-Abbas Battalions are operating in northern Babil.

8

On July 7, an SVBIED targeted a security checkpoint in Kadhmiya, northwestern Baghdad, killing at least �ve individuals and injuring 15 others. On July 6, an SVEST attack on a local café in the area of Washash, western Baghdad, killed 5 individuals and injured 12 others.

On July 7, the commander of the 6th IA Division was killed in an area west of Baghdad. �ere were con�icting reports whether he was killed by mortars or sniper �re.

5

On July 7, Badr and AAH forces were reportedly tasked with protecting the Askari Shrine in Samarra while forces from the Federal Police were deployed to the area of Jalam, northeast of Samarra. Meanwhile, forces from the Sadrist Peace Companies are protecting the area around the city.

4

7

Anti-ISIS Tribes


ISIS continues to threaten tribes as it attempts to enforce the pledge of allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS and the self-proclaimed Caliph of the Islamic State. The fall of Zowiya indicates the challenges the tribes in rural villages will face in countering ISIS, which may be focusing on rural areas in order to gain control of lines of communication and, eventually, other urban areas. ISIS continues to attack the Samarra area where the Sadrist “Peace Brigades” are currently consolidated as a holding force. ISIS’s e�ort in Samarra is intended to divert resources from Tikrit, although the Iraqi Security Force likely deems the Peace Brigades su�cient to secure Samarra without reinforcement. ISIS is establishing a system by which it can �nancially bene�t from controlling oil �elds, such as Ajil, in northern Iraq. Further gains of oil resources by ISIS hinge on the fate of the Baiji re�nery, which the Iraqi government continues to try to secure.

100km

Qaim9

by Ahmed Ali, ISW Iraq Team, and Heather L. Pickerell

100km

Fallujah

Baqubah

As Sulaymaniyah

ArbilMosul

Basra

An Nasriyah

An Najaf

KarbalaAl Kut

Ar Ramadi

Samarra

Tikrit

Kirkuk

Baghdad

Dahuk

Al Amarah

Al Hillah

Ad Diwaniyah

Muqdadiyah

Samawa

Rutba

Qaim

Haditha

ISISISF

Unknown gunmenMajor Cities

Major Clash

AirstrikesSVBIED

Shi’a militias

Anti-ISIS Tribes

Anti-Government Armed Groups

On July 7, two SU-25s reportedly targeted buildings located in central Tuz Khurmatu, which is Peshmerga-controlled. One of the damaged buildings belonged to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). �ese attacks resulted in the death of one child and the injury of eight other individuals. �is has generated discontent among the local government, the Peshmerga, and the PUK.

5 ISIS elements established control of Zowiya village, northern Salah ad-Din after heavily clashes with local tribes that had resisted. ISIS �red approximately 60 mortar rounds, killing 13 individuals over the course of the �ghting. ISIS gunmen also blew up 10 homes in the village and searched homes for weapons. Other reports indicated that 50 tribal members were executed by ISIS.

1

5

2

1

73

4

6

According to an anonymous source in Jalula, Peshmerga forces are using tribal elders as mediators to negotiate with gunmen in order to peacefully take control of the predominantly Iraqi Arab neighborhoods of al-Tajnid and al-Wihda.

6

An SVBIED detonated at an IP checkpoint in southern Samarra. �e attack resulted in the death of two IP members, two civilians, and the injury of six others, half of whom were civilians. Also, multiple IEDs detonated on an IP patrol in southern Samarra, killing three IP members and burning four IP vehicles.

2

�e deputy chairman of the Anbar Provincial Council, Falih al-Issawi, stated that ISIS militants killed several leaders of anti-government armed groups at a July 6 meeting in Fallujah after the leaders refused to pledge allegiance to the leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Issawi added that the incident heightened tension in the city and called for the Iraqi Government to take advantage of this opportunity to reach out to these groups.

3

4 An anonymous medical source at the Fallujah General Hospital stated that four Katyusha rockets fell on the hospital and on the Fallujah College of Medicine. Sources from the hospital also added that mortars landed on civilian homes in the Fallujah neighborhoods of al-Askari, al-Jughay�, al-Nazal, al-Shuhada, and Jubail, wounding seven civilians.

�e Mayor of Tuz Khurmatu, Shalal Abdul, stated that ISIS has been extracting oil a Hamrin Ridge area and the Ajil Oil Field north of Salah ad-Din and selling that oil to generate revenue. According to Abdul, ISIS is selling tankers of oil to smugglers for $ 10,000-$ 14,000 each.

7

PeshmergaExecution


ISIS has expanded its posture in Diyala, an area in which it has clashed for territory. Iraqi Shi’a militias have, however, held a line against ISIS advances at Khalis. The seizure of the nearby Sudur mini-dam is signi�cant in particular if ISIS continues to control it. ISIS has experi-ence with utilizing dams as assets to demobilize the ISF, as evident in the April �ooding of areas around the Fallujah dam. The discovery of bodies in Babil is a signi�cant event as well. The identities of the victims and perpetrators are unclear. However, on June 23, 70 prisoners were killed in an attack targeting a convoy transporting prisoners from Hillah to Nasriyah. ISW assessed that they were likely killed by the ISF to prevent their escape and no bodies were found. If the bodies discovered are those of the victims of the June 23 attack, the Iraqi Sunni community will likely view this as a retaliatory sectarian attack.

100km

Qaim9

Unknown Gunmen


100km

Fallujah

Baqubah

As Sulaymaniyah

ArbilMosul

Basra

An Nasriyah

An Najaf

KarbalaAl Kut

Ar Ramadi

Samarra

Tikrit

Kirkuk

Baghdad

Dahuk

Al Amarah

Al Hillah

Ad Diwaniyah

Muqdadiyah

Samawa

Rutba

Qaim

Haditha

ISISISF


Armed Drones

VBIEDExecution Shi’a militias

Airstrikes

Raid

Military Parade

A VBIED detonated in Jaza’ir neighbor-hood, northern Hillah city near the federal court building, and 2 VBIEDs detonated in the Imam sub-district in Mahawil, northern Babil. At least 11 individuals were killed and wounded. �e IP in Babil found 50 unidentified bodies in the al-Nil area, north of Hillah. �e bodies were reportedly decomposed and had gunshots to the head and some were handcuffed.

4

1

3

An airstrike targeted oil tankers in the area of Hamam al-Alil, south of Mosul causing serious damage with no reported casualities. �e reserves included tanks of fuel. �e incident was reported as a drone strike, although the ISF is not known to possess this capability.

2

1

�ree Syrian aircraft carried out airstrikes in Qaim. �e strikes targeted the meteorological observatory center and the city council, and caused damage to four homes and three shops which resulted in the death of seven civilians and injured six others.

2

An anonymous police source in Anbar stated that ISIS gunmen with light and medium weapons attacked the Hurriyah IP station in the area known as “5 km,” western Ramadi. �e gunmen also attacked security checkpoints in the “5 km” area leaving five IP members dead and three wounded in addition to seizing a military transport vehicle and IP weapons.

4

5

ISIS seized the Sudur mini-dam located approximately 3 miles east of Khalis after clashing heavily with the ISF in the area. �e ISF started an effort to retake it. Earlier, ISIS targeted the Sudur IP station, in the outskirts of Mansouriya, which resulted in the death of one captain and the injury of five IP members. �e IA and the IP, supported by IA Aviation, carried out an operation in the orchards of Sudur.

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6

IA aviation targeted four homes in Dhuluiyah, south of Samarra, killing two individuals and injuring 15 others from the same family. �e local government in the area demanded an investigation by the MoD since the “sub-district has no armed activities.”

3

According to a security source in Kirkuk, ISIS members conducted an armed parade using 300 vehicles in the areas of Hawija, Manzala, Multaqa, and Riyadh, located southwest of Kirkuk. ISIS members paraded using equipment recently seized from the Iraqi Army.

5

A member of Abu al-Fadhil al-Abbas Brigade was killed and another one was injured in the area of Snidij, northern Babil by a sniper attack. �e commander of the Federal Police (FP) brigade in Jurf al-Sakhar was injured during an operation in the area.

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6

7 8

Syrian Government Forces

On July 8, members from the Scorpion Force carried out raids in the areas of Iskandariyah and Mussayeb which resulted in the arrest of “34 gunmen.”


ISIS may now possess 88 pounds of unenriched uranium that had been stored at Mosul University, elevating the terrorist threat that ISIS poses. Meanwhile, the former IA o�cers kidnapped in Mosul were most likely targeted by ISIS in in order to minimize their in�uence over a potential resistance to ISIS control of the city. It is not clear at this time who was responsible for the separate kidnapping of farmers near Balad Airbase, but the presence of armed groups near the base continues to pose a threat to the facility. To the east, ISIS continued to challenge the ISF in central Diyala for a second day while gunmen also clashed with the ISF near Tikrit University. The ISF conducted airstrikes in Mosul and Tikrit, apparently selecting targets assessed to hold strategic value for ISIS.

100km

Qaim9


100km

Fallujah

Baqubah

As Sulaymaniyah

ArbilMosul

Basra

An Nasriyah

An Najaf

KarbalaAl Kut

Ar Ramadi

Samarra

Tikrit

Kirkuk

Baghdad

Dahuk

Al Amarah

Al Hillah

Ad Diwaniyah

Muqdadiyah

Samawa

Rutba

Qaim

Haditha

ISISISF

Unknown gunmen

Major Cities

Major Clash

Airstrikes

VBIED

Kidnapping

Armed Drones

6

2

5

7

4

1

3

ISIS kidnapped 30 senior o�cers of the former IA in Mosul and took them to an unknown location. 1

On July 10, airstrikes targeted the Ninewa Operations Command headquarters building, which is reportedly now used by ISIS as a headquarters. On July 9, airstrikes also targeted a residential area in western Mosul and a lumber yard in the eastern part of the city, which resulted in the death of three individuals and injury of nine others.

2

Heavy clashes took place between the IA and unidenti�ed gunmen near Tikrit University, north of downtown Tikrit. Also, an airstrike targeted the real estate bank in the city.

3

A motorcycle-borne IED detonated near a gas station in southwestern Kirkuk City, which resulted in the injury of seven individuals including three members of the IP.

5

ISIS took control of the Sudur IP station, northeast of Muqdadiyah after the clashes with the ISF reported yesterday continued today. Meanwhile IA forces were reportedly able to recapture parts of the 22nd IA brigade base in the vicinity that were taken by ISIS on July 9.

6

7 Unidenti�ed gunmen stormed a local vegetable market in the area of Yathrib, three miles north of Balad Airbase. �e gunmen kidnapped 35 farmers at gunpoint and took them to an unknown location.

�e IA forces stationed outside of Fallujah continued shelling the city, which resulted in the death of eight individuals and the injury of 35 others, including women and children.

4


Armed groups south, west, and north of Baghdad are becoming increasingly active. ISIS may be on the o�ensive in Ramadi, Jurf al-Sakhar, Samarra, and northern Diyala. ISIS’s attempt to move from strongholds near Fallujah toward southern Baghdad, in operational coordination with elements in Babil, illustrates ISIS’s continued intention to penetrate the capital’s southern belt with maneuver forces as well as terrorist cells. Ramadi is likely to be the next urban objective that ISIS seeks to control. Volunteers from Shi’a provinces deployed to Anbar in order to shore up security, prevent or delay ISIS’s advance into Ramadi, and force the culmination of the ISIS middle Euphrates o�ensive. The reinforcements may also increase sectarian clashes in the predominantly Sunni province. ISIS has a presence north of Baghdad that should be considered a separate and available �ghting force. Meanwhile, the displacement of populations in Diyala, Anbar, and northern Iraq is exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. The depopulation of these urban and rural areas may further preclude the development of tribal forces resisting ISIS.


100km

Fallujah

Baqubah

As Sulaymaniyah

ArbilMosul

Basra

An Nasriyah

An Najaf

KarbalaAl Kut

Ar Ramadi

Samarra

Tikrit

Kirkuk

Baghdad

Dahuk

Al Amarah

Al Hillah

Ad Diwaniyah

Muqdadiyah

Samawa

Rutba

Qaim

Haditha

4

2

1

5

7

2

Anbar Governor Ahmed al-Dulaimi stated that 4,000 volunteers arrived in Anbar from Baghdad, Karbala, Najaf, and Basra. �e governor added that the volunteers will be deployed in Ramadi and the Upper Euphrates areas to counter ISIS. On July 10, the ISF engaged in heavy clashes with militants in the Albu Hayes area in Ramadi. Militants were reportedly targeting the 8th Brigade headquarters.

4

6

Peshmerga forces took control of the Bai Hassan oil �eld in northwestern Kirkuk. �e �eld produces 195,000 barrels per day. �e oil ministry called on the Peshmerga to withdraw from the �eld. An SVBIED detonated at a Peshmerga checkpoint in southern Kirkuk city resulting in the death of 2 people and injury of at least 21 people.

1

33 Between July 10-11, ISIS destroyed 300 homes in the al-Zowiya village, north of Baiji. ISIS reportedly ransacked the houses before using explosives to destroy them.

ISF and Militias

2 An anonymous security source stated that the Sadrist Peace Brigades (PB) prevented ISIS elements from entering north Samarra. �e PB �red 20 mortar shells at ISIS elements at which point ISIS elements were forced to withdraw to neighboring houses, using civilian homes as shields.

5 ISF and ISIS clashed near a military base known as the 2nd Corps in Muqdadiyah, northeastern Diyala, killing three ISIS �ghters. �e source stated that ISIS �ghters launched an attack on the base from nearby orchards, but were forced back with the help of IA Aviation.

7 On July 10, IA and volunteer forces repelled an o�ensive by ISIS in Jurf al-Sakhar as ISIS elements attempted to cross the Fadiliyah Bridge linking Amiriyat al-Fallujah and Baghdad. Military forces were reportedly deployed in Fadiliyah to prevent any possible ISIS advancement towards Baghdad.

According to an o�cial in Diyala’s government, 14,000 families had been displaced in the province as a result of the ongoing security operations.

ISISISF

Major Cities

Major Clash

Armed Drones

SVBIED

Shi’a militias

Airstrikes

PeshmergaVolunteers Movement Projected Movement

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VolunteersV

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The ISIS attack in Haditha demonstrates the continuation of its urban o�ensive to control cities in the middle Euphrates. The attack is also likely intended to either control the city before the deployment of recently-arrived reinforcement to Anbar, or to divert those resources to Haditha in order to weaken defenses around Ramadi and eventually control it. Either way, ISF defenses in Anbar and northern Diyala will demonstrate how e�ectively the ISF can hold terrain against ISIS and other armed groups. The interdiction of an ISIS fuel tanker convoy by the Iraqi Air Force demonstrates the intent of the ISF to disrupt ISIS logistics and �nance. Meanwhile, ISIS low-level activity near Baghdad continues. The presence of a weapons cache in Arab Jabour indicates that ISIS has established a presence in southeast Baghdad in addition to the north and west. The visible activity of Iraqi Shi’a militia extra-judicial killings is indicative of their freedom of movement and that their role in the defense of Baghdad a�ects security for citizens. The report of an ISIS police force in Mosul is consistent with their measures of social control in ar-Raqqa, Syria.

by Ahmed Ali, Jessica D. Lewis, and Nichole Dicharry

100km

Fallujah

Baqubah

As Sulaymaniyah

ArbilMosul

Basra

An Nasriyah

An Najaf

KarbalaAl Kut

Ar Ramadi

Samarra

Tikrit

Kirkuk

Baghdad

Dahuk

Al Amarah

Al Hillah

Ad Diwaniyah

Muqdadiyah

Samawa

Rutba

Qaim

Haditha

4

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2

ISIS attacked at 3:00am local time in the city of Haditha in western Anbar province. �e Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) repelled the attack and reportedly killed 13 ISIS elements and detained 31 others. Four Iraqi Police (IP) members were killed while 11 were injured.

4

An IED exploded in the Bayaa neighborhood in southwestern Baghdad city resulting in the death of two people and injury of four people. Unidenti�ed gunmen stormed an apartment complex in eastern Baghdad’s Zayuna neighborhood resulting in the death of 28 women and 2 males. �e gunmen reportedly targeted speci�c apartments in what ISW assesses to be morality executions by Iraqi Shi’a militias.

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An IED attack in a Mahmudiyah market resulted in the death of one person and injury of seven. Mahmudiyah is located in southern Baghdad province.

2 According to Shafaq News, ISIS has opened a police department in the city of Mosul and is now accepting volunteers to the department which is known as the “Islamic Police.” According to reports, ISIS is o�ering a salary to its new police force estimated at over 400 USD, but what time period that covers is unclear.

5

�e Iraqi Ministry of Defense announced that it seized shells, explosive material, and bomb-making material in the Arab Jubur area in southern Baghdad. �e operation was carried out by the 23rd brigade of the 17th Iraqi Army Division

�e ISF launched a clearing operation in the northern parts of Muqdadiyah in northeastern Diyala. �e ISF is operating alongside the tribes and with support from the Iraqi Army Aviation to clear the areas of the Sudur orchards and the villages of Khamis, Sansal, and al-Jazeera. �e ISF reportedly cleared a neighborhood in Sudur.

Unidenti�ed gunmen kidnapped the head of the Independent High Electoral Commission in Diyala, Amer Latif, in Buhriz which is located 8 km south of Baquba

ISISISF

Major Cities

Major Clash

Armed Drones Shi’a militias

6

Kidnapping

Unknown gunmen

An IED targeted a police patrol in the Corniche Street in southern Kirkuk city. �e attack resulted in the injury of three police members.

7

9

9

A medical source in Fallujah stated that in Fallujah 3 people were killed while 18 were injured in mortar attacks that targeted the neighborhoods of al-Jughai�, Askari, Nazal, Dhubat, Jolan, Shuhada, Nazal, and al-Jbeil. Women and children were among the victims.

6 Iraqi Air Force jets targeted an ISIS “court building” in the Riyadh sub-district in western Kirkuk resulting in damage to the building. ISIS members were wounded in the attack in addition to three civilians who were in the vicinity. �e Iraqi Air Force also attacked an ISIS fuel-tanker convoy as it was passing the village of Safra in Riyadh. �e convoy was reportedly destroyed.

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Airstrikes

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Anti-ISIS Tribes


ISIS is trying to continue its maneuver campaign along the Tigris and the Euphrates. ISIS launched an attack on Haditha for the second time in two days, which indicates that its previously reported negotiations with the tribes did not succeed. The reported presence of volunteers who are likely Iraqi Shia creates an interesting dynamic and illustrates both the importance of Haditha to the government and the strong desire of tribes in Haditha to prevent ISIS from entering the district. Dhuluiya is the route by which historically AQI and ISIS transited from Diyala to Samarra. The attack upon Dhuluiya indicates the presence of an ISIS force in the vicinity of Samarra that is able to go on the o�ensive despite the heavy presence of Iraqi Shia militias to the north and the ISF in Balad airbase to the south. Meanwhile, Saddam Hussein's former vice president and Ba'athist leader, Izzat al-Duri, gave his �rst statement after the fall of Mosul. He highlighted the role of JRTN and other armed groups participating in the o�ensive and gave a special highlight to ISIS describing its members as “heroes and knights.” Duri also called for unity among the anti-government forces and urged them to postpone their disagreements in order to achieve victory. Duri also called for the Jihadi and Islamic forces to transcend sectarian, ethnic, and regional di�erences. His statement is signi�cant because it highlights the strategic role that JRTN and other Ba'athist groups are playing in the ongoing o�ensive, even though they likely support an end-state that collapses the Iraqi government more than establishing an Islamic Caliphate.

by ISW Iraq Team and Aaron Reese

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June 14: 36 ISIS �ghters are killed in Jalawla, Diyala Province following clashes and an attempted attack against a Peshmerga checkpoint.

June 13: ISF and local tribes reclaims the city of Dhuluiya, Salah ad-Din Province from ISIS. Iraqi Police reportedly resumes their posts within the city.

June 14: ISIS executes hundreds of Iraqi Army soldiers captured from Speicher Airbase. ISIS publishes photos of the summary executions on its o�cial social media outlets.

June 12-13: ISIS reportedly captures Speicher Airbase in Salah ad-Din near Tikrit. Video emerges of captured soldiers.

June 14: ISF personnel and Asai’b Ahl al-Haq regained control of Muqdadiyah, Diyala Province after clashes with ISIS.

June 14: Clashes took place between JRTN and ISF in the Udhaim area in Diayala Province.

by Ahmed Ali and Heather L. Pickerell

June 15: ISIS gunmen reportedly took complete control of the sub-district of Sadia, in northeast Diyala Province. Gunmen control Copper Base, which houses the fourth brigade, part of the �fth IA division. Hamrin Lake separates ISIS from the ISF.

June 15: ISF withdrew from a large number of its headquarters and towers on the Iraqi-Syrian borders.

June 15: Forces from the Counter Terrorism Forces, the Rapid Intervention Brigade, and SWAT arrived in Camp Ashraf, in north Diyala Province to enforce the security forces there. �ese forces will be �ghting ISIS in areas in the vicinity of Udhaim, 90km north of Baquba. ISF reported clashes with ISIS near Camp Ashraf. ISIS also attacked a recruitment center in Muqdadiyah.

June 15: An SVEST took place near the shrine of Sheikh Abdul-Qadir al Gilani in central Baghdad, killing 12 individu-als and wounding 30 others.

June 15: Unidenti�ed gunmen (likely ISIS) launched an attack on Tal Afar, west of Mosul. ISF and tribal elements initially repelled the attack. However, there are reports that the city has fallen under ISIS control.

June 15: Unidenti�ed gunmen (likely ISIS) attacked security checkpoints and IA headquarters in the areas of Albu Shajal, areas around the Yabani Bridge, and around Saqlawiya, northwest of Fallujah. �e source added that IA forces withdrew from Saqlawiya.

by Heather L. Pickerell, Ahmed Ali, and ISW Iraq Team

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June 16: Iraqi Army and police forces supported by 200 tribal elements launched an operation to cleanse the district from ISIS elements.

June 16: ISIS gunmen are reportedly present in various parts of Tal Afar, west of Mosul, and 95% of the residents have departed to the Sinjar area, northwest of Mosul. �e ISF sent reenforcements from the counter-terrorism forces using aerial assets. �ere are con�icting reports about whether Tal Afar military airport has fallen to the gunmen or is still under ISF control. JRTN-leaning groups claimed responsibility for the attacks upon Tal Afar.

June 16: Iraqi Army Aviation foiled an ISIS attempt to storm Baiji Re�nery, north of Tikrit by launching strikes on ISIS elements. Reinforcements were delivered using aerial assets to enhance security in and around the facility. Yesterday, a JRTN-leaning group reported that they besieged the ISF in the facility and were negotiat-ing surrender.

June 16: Two Iraqi border guard brigades were deployed from southern Iraq to Anbar. �e deployment came as the ISF reportedly withdrew from their posts on the Iraqi-Syrian borders, allowing gunmen and smugglers signi�cant freedom of movement.

June 16: �is morning, ISIS gunmen spread to various areas of Qaim district in Anbar Province, and took control of the area’s two Iraqi Police stations. While the Iraqi Army and tribal elements reportedly retook the areas of Ibar, Jazeera, and Dur al-Iskan in Qaim, ISIS gunmen are reported to have gathered in Rumana and Karabla, eastern Qaim.

June 16: Iraqi Police forces clashed with ISIS gunmen in an attempt to retake Udhaim, north of Baquba, which had fallen to ISIS two days ago. �e clashes reportedly resulted in the death of 12 ISIS gunmen and the destruction of eight vehicles. ISF reinforcements are en route.

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June 17: An Iraqi Army (IA) force found 25 corpses belonging to IA members near a train station in located in western Balad, south of Tikrit.

June 17: Commander of the Iraqi Army (IA) in the district of Tal Afar, Maj. Gen. Khalid al-Khazraji (also known as Abu al-Walid and rumored to have been captured yesterday) stated today that most areas of the district are under ISF control. It is unclear if the four-day-old ISIS assault on Tal Afar has stopped. ISIS gunmen still control areas of the district.

June 17: ISIS reportedly launched assaults on the Gatun, Mualimin, and Mafraq neigbourhoods of Baquba. In Mafraq, the gunmen attacked an IP station but were repelled by the ISF. 44 detainees previously held at the station were killed. �e ISF claim that the assaulting gunmen killed the prisoners, while prominent anti-government social media outlets claim that the ISF executed them.

June 17: Salah ad-Din Police Commander General Hamad al-Namis arrived in Samarra to prepare a counter-attack on Tikrit. Counter Terrorism Services reportedly clashed with ISIS gunmen in Samarra and retook the Baghdad-Samarra highway. IA forces reportedly clashed with gunmen on the road connecting Ishaqi and Balad, resulting in 28 IA injuries. �e road is reportedly under IA control and is now open.

June 17: ISIS gunmen regained control of the local council and Iraqi Police (IP) station in Multaqa, southwest of Kirkuk. IP brie�y retook Multaqa this morning, but then withdrew to Mashru (2km away from Kirkuk). Later in the day, Peshmerga forces clashed with the gunmen in an attempt to retake the area.

June 17: A Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device detonated near the Maridi market in Sadr City, eastern Baghdad, resulting in 8 deaths and 23 injuries.


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June 18: Unidenti�ed gunmen attacked the Baiji re�nery with mortars and direct �re. PM Maliki’s spokesperson and the Counter Terrorism Services (CTS) have stated that CTS forces control the facility and that 40 gunmen were killed in the clashes. However, ISF control of the re�nery is uncon�rmed. Aerial assets delivered ISF reinforcements to the facility two days ago.

June 18: ISIS reportedly launched 20 mortar rounds at the Alam sub-district east of Tikrit, home to ISF commanders and government o�cials, potentially softening the target before a broader assault.

June 18: Babil Operations Command announced the deployment of 500 volunteers to Buhairat and Jurf al-Sakhar in northern Babil, which are historically areas of ISIS presence. �e volunteers were trained and supplied with military uniforms and weapons. PM Maliki’s Dawa Party leader, Ali al-Alaq, had announced the formation of the volunteers’ brigade on June 16.

June 18: Gunmen, reportedly ISIS elements, armed with medium and heavy weapons in 4x4 vehicles attacked and seized Iraqi Police (IP) stations in Jazeera, Hamdan, and Tiba around Hit, west of Ramadi after IP forces withdrew. No casualties were reported.

June 18: ISIS reportedly repealed the June 13 Madina decree which imposed harsh Sharia law in Mosul. If con�rmed, the decree was likely negated either due to popular opposition or to coordination between ISIS and other armed groups. Most foreign �ghters reportedly departed from Mosul and a small number of ISIS members from rural Ninewa now control parts of the city. June 18: Unknown gunmen reportedly

took three villages located in Salah ad-din Province located between Tuz Khurmatu and Amerli after clashes with the Iraqi Police and Army.

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After the ISF stationed in the Baiji oil re�nery and attacking gunmen negotiated a truce, 200-300 civilian employees reportedly departed the facility. �e extent to which the gunmen and the ISF are in control of parts of the facility is currently unclear.

Two rockets reportedly landed in the vicinity of al-Askari shrine in Samarra, wounding 13 individuals, including ISF members. �ere is no reported damage to the shrine, although any such harm would instigate sectarian violence.

Unidenti�ed gunmen reportedly kidnapped 40 individuals last night from Mada’in, southeast of Baghdad, releasing eight of them shortly after. �is was likely fueled by sectarianism. But it is unclear who is responsible, pending further evidence, given the mixed demographics of the area.

�e Iraqi Police (IP), Iraqi Army (IA), and tribal elements (T) in Diyala launched an operation with IA aviation support in villages located in northern Muqdadiyah.

�e ISF continues operations in parts of Tal Afar. �e extent to which ISF and ISIS forces are in control of speci�c areas is unclear, but Tal Afar remains part of an ISF-controlled frontline.

Unidenti�ed gunmen, likely ISIS elements, reportedly seized food supplies from trucks before they entered Sinjar, northwest of Mosul. �e gunmen demanded the departure of refugees (who �ed Tal Afar as a result of the military operations there) and threatened to prevent the future arrival of supplies.

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ISF forces, volunteers, and tribal elements from Mussayib, northern Babil, reportedly launched an operation in the area of Buhairat, which sparked clashes resulting in the deaths of two volunteers and nine ISIS �ghters.

Mortars landed on Arab Jabour village, northern Muqdadiyah, targeting the joint IA, IP and tribal forces that launched an operation in the vicinity and entered the village yesterday. Also, four ISIS members were reportedly killed in another village in the area amid clashes with the joint forces.

Babil reportedly sent 1,000 "volunteers trained in urban warfare" to the area of Taji, north of Baghdad. �e volunteers were transferred to Taji and will be distributed to support the ISF units in the area. Babil appears to be a major provider of volunteers. �e composition of the volunteer force is unclear, and could likely include veterans of Iraqi Shi’a militias or newly trained volunteers.

Reports indicate that 750 volunteers were sent to the Habbaniya military base located between Ramadi and Fallujah and will be distributed to ISF units in Anbar.

�e chairman of the district council stated that the IA controls half of Tal Afar, west of Mosul, while operations continued. �e chairman added that the vast majority of the residents departed amid the clashes. Also, the Babil local government announced that 2,000 "trained �ghters" were sent to the district. �ose �ghters are likely volunteers and Iraqi Shi’a militias.

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ISIS elements reportedly launched an o�ensive on central Qaim, western Anbar and took control of the municipal council, the customs o�ce, the border crossing with Syria, and the IP station of Qaim. �e gunmen reportedly released detainees while the two IA companies stationed in the area departed their posts.

Clashes resumed today at the Baiji oil re�nery after ISIS gunmen launched an attack. �is comes after a truce was reportedly negotiated yesterday which resulted in the evacuation of civilian employees from the facility. ISIS clashed with Counter Terrorism Services and control of the re�nery remains contested.

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�e ISF foiled an attack targeting the Baiji oil re�nery involving three Suicide Vehicle Borne IEDs in the form of fuel tankers. SVBIEDs are signature ISIS attacks. �e oil re�nery remains contested.

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ISIS elements reportedly captured �ve villages in northern Muqdadiyah, where a joint operation led by the IA, IP and tribal forces was launched two days ago. Northern Muqdadiyah remains a front line.

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IA forces and ISIS elements reportedly clashed at the entrances of Haditha district in western Anbar. Meanwhile, a general curfew was imposed on the district.

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ISIS elements took control of the cities of Rawa and Ana, in western Anbar. �ere are con�icting reports about whether the IA and IP clashed with ISIS or if they left their posts.

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3 ISF reinforcements reportedly arrived in Qaim while an IA brigade commander was killed during clashes with ISIS in eastern Qaim. �e Qaim Border Crossing is now under ISIS control. 7

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�e Sadrist militia organized military parades in Baghdad, Maysan, Basra, Diwaniyah, Karbala, Babil, Muthana, Dhi Qar, Najaf, and Wasit. Promised Day Brigade (PDB) members paraded with medium and heavy weaponry.

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ISIS reportedly clashed with JRTN in the Tar al-Baghal area in southwestern Kirkuk, which resulted in the deaths of nine members of JRTN and eight from ISIS. Also, ISIS reportedly captured Saif al-Din al-Mashadani, a senior member of the Ba’ath Party and JRTN leader, as he was heading from Dur to Hawija. �e clashes occurred as ISIS was reportedly disarming other armed groups.


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Rutba and Qaim fell to ISIS on June 22. Iraqi Police (IP) commanders and IA o�cers reportedly met with ISIS leaders and agreed to surrender and hand over their weapons. ISF forces then donned civilian attire and returned home.

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On June 22, three Syrian combat jets reportedly entered Iraqi airspace in western Anbar and destroyed wheat and barley warehouses in Qaim with rocket and cannon �re. �ere were no reported causalities.

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On June 23, ISIS reportedly kidnapped 67 families from Alam who were travelling to Hawija and Iraqi Kurdistan, intending to pressure Alam’s tribes to surrender. Alam, just east of ISIS-controlled Tikrit, represents an anti-ISIS Iraqi Sunni tribal e�ort. On June 22, ISIS clashed with Alam’s tribes. During the clash, ISIS killed a local o�cial; the daughter of a former local leader of the Al-Juburi tribe who was killed by AQI in 2006.

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7 On June 23, ISIS gunmen reportedly attacked an IA convoy on the Kaysh highway, northeast of Al Hillah. �e convoy was transporting 80 prisoners from Al Hillah’s Scorpion Prison to a prison in An Nasiriyah. Approximately 70 prisoners were reportedly killed. �e circumstances of the prisoners’ deaths are unclear, but they were most likely executed by the IA to prevent their escape.

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A Suicide Vehicle-Borne IED reportedly detonated at a Peshmerga security checkpoint on June 23. �e blast destroyed a bridge, which connected Jalula district in Diyala and Kalar district in As Sulaimaniyah, killed three Peshmerga soldiers, and injured three others.

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On June 22, Tal Afar fell to ISIS and the area’s ISF commander General Khalid al-Khazraji (also known as Abu al-Walid) �ed northwest to Sinjar. ISIS published pictures depicting vehicles and dead soldiers abandoned by the Iraqi Army (IA). �e images also depict the bodies of Sunni prisoners allegedly killed by the IA. PM Maliki’s military spokesman con�rmed the fall, describing it as a “tactical withdrawal.” On June 23, IA Aviation launched strikes on the district.

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On June 23, �e IA detonated explosives on the Fhimi Bridge, which connected Haditha and Ana. IA and IP reinforcements reportedly arrived in Haditha after they clashed with ISIS around the district.

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After reports that the Baiji oil re�nery fell to ISIS on June 23, the ISF reportedly sent reinforcements while the Iraqi Army (IA) Aviation killed 19 ISIS gunmen in airstrikes near the facility. Seventy-�ve members of the Iraqi Police (IP) or Facility Protection Service, who had been guarding the re�nery, reportedly left after reaching an agreement with ISIS. �e re�nery remains contested as the IA and the Counter Terrorism Services (CTS) actively resist ISIS control.

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On June 23, the ISF, commanded by Hadi al-Amiri, with support from tribal forces and most likely Iraqi Shi’a militias, reportedly cleared Udhaim. Al-Amiri is the leader of the Badr Organization and the Minister of Transportation. �ere are indications that ISIS has booby-trapped most of the homes in the area with explosives. Meanwhile, 700 families departed the area.

Heavy clashes took place between Peshmerga forces, other armed groups, and ISIS in Sadia, northeast of Baquba, prompting dozens of families to depart the area for Khaniqin, Diyala, and Kalar in Sulaimaniyah. �e area remains contested.

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4 �e IP command in Karbala ordered the Federal Police to secure Ayn Tamur, 30 miles west of the city. �e IP has been administering Ayn Tamur until now. �is measure intends to enhance security in the area, after yesterday’s reports indicated that ISIS gunmen clashed with the IA near Nukhaib, west of Karbala.


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Heavy clashes involving medium and heavy weapons erupted between ISIS gunmen and the ISF around Balad Airbase. ISIS reportedly controls villages near the airbase, which is 35 miles southeast of Samarra and 25 miles north of Camp Taji.

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1 ISIS gunmen reportedly attacked two Iraqi Turkmen villages north of Mosul, where they detonated IEDs at two Shi’a mosques. �e gunmen previously held a number of residents hostage, prompting dozens of families to leave the villages.

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3 Gunmen from the Hawija Liberation Battalions (HLB) opened �re on a truck transporting ISIS gunmen. ISIS responded by kidnapping two individuals from the area. HLB is most likely composed of members of tribes and JRTN who aim to expel ISIS from Hawija. �e area’s tribal composition and the presence of armed groups will most likely generate more tension as ISIS seeks to dominate.

Reports indicate that ISIS gunmen captured Ajil oil �eld in Hamrin, northeast of Tikrit. �e �eld used to be protected by tribal forces which had withdrawn to protect their villages from ISIS attacks. Production in the �eld stopped after ISIS took control of areas in the vicinity.

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2 ISIS forces withdrew from Alam to the Presidential Palaces Complex in central Tikrit, evacuating Tikrit hospital in the process. ISIS had arrived in Alam on June 23. Central Tikrit has been subject to increased strikes by IA Aviation. Meanwhile, there are reports of an upcom-ing IA-Counter Terrorism Servics (CTS) operation in the city and an air assault by CTS on Tikrit University, located north of the city. It is unclear if ISIS is hardening its positions in Tikrit or withdrawing. Alam has been a �ashpoint of anti-ISIS Iraqi Sunni tribal resistance. Control of the area remains unclear.

Reinforcements from the IA and CTS reportedly arrived in Ishaki to prepare for an assault. Reports from last week indicated that that a joint force from the Ministries of Defense and the Interior had cleared the area. Also, mortar rounds landed on the residence of a tribal leader, who is the �rst deputy governor in central Ishaki, resulting in seven deaths and injury to 25 others.

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ISIS gunmen took control of the Dali Abass sub-district, seven miles north of Muqdadiyah, which they held for three hours. �e gunmen clashed with a joint force, most likely composed of the IA, tribal forces, and Iraqi Shi’a militias. �e joint force killed seven ISIS gunmen and burned six vehicles.

An SVEST detonated in the area of Bab al-Dirwaz near the shrine of Imam al-Kadhim in northern Baghdad, killing at least 22 and injuring 44 others. Attacks near the shrine are rare and will likely trigger further mobiliza-tion by Iraqi Shi’a militias in the capital. �is attack, along with an SVEST attack in Mahmudiya on June 25, indicate the resumation of suicide attacks which had noticeably declined since the fall of Mosul.

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ISIS reportedly conducted a large armed parade in Hawija to recapture control after it met resistance from tribes and other armed groups in the area.

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ISIS and a joint force of ISF and tribal forces clashed in Barwana, eight miles south of the Haditha Dam. IA and CTS have been reinforcing the dam since June 21 to protect it from a potential ISIS attack. ISIS famously took the Fallujah Dam at the beginning of this year, �ooding surrounding areas and cutting o� water supply to southern and central Iraq.

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�e ISF clashed with unidenti�ed gunmen, likely ISIS, around Tikrit University. �e clashes followed the ISF’s June 26 assault on the university.

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2 Unidenti�ed gunmen targeted the ISF with mortar rounds in central Samarra and the Jalam area to the east of the city. �ree ISF members were killed and another 25 were wounded.

ISIS gunmen and other groups clashed with the Iraqi Army (IA) and Police (IP) in the Tamim area in western Ramadi, taking control of the area following IA and IP withdrawal. �e gunmen were in control of Tamim’s police station and reportedly captured 12 HUMVEEs, two tanks, four APCs and large amounts of ammunition.

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Four mortar rounds landed on Mahmudiyah, south of Baghdad, resulting in four deaths and eight injured. Mahmudiyah had witnessed an SVEST attack on June 25. Both attacks were likely carried out by ISIS.

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�e 17th IA Division launched an operation in the Lati�yah area in southern Baghdad, reportedly killing two snipers along with 13 others.

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5 A joint force composed of the ISF, pro-government tribes, and likely Iraqi Shi’a militias clashed with ISIS in Sadia, in northeastern Diyala Province.

�e ISF raided compounds in the Salhia area, and detained 12 individuals. �e Baghdad Municipality also sent a number of its crews to establish forti�cations in the northern areas of the city and block roads that may be used by anti-government gunmen approaching Baghdad.

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ISIS launched a mortar attack on the Peshmerga stationed in the Bashir village of Taza district, southern Kirkuk. �e attack left seven Peshmerga members injured. �e Peshmerga responded using heavy artillery and mortar rounds. Bashir is predominantly Iraqi Shi’a Turkmen and has been a continual stando� point between the Peshmerga and ISIS in southern Kirkuk since June 17.

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IA Aviation reportedly attacked the neighborhoods of Risala, Asri, and Tamim in Baiji, killing six and wounding 10 others, including women and children. 1

2 ISF clashes with ISIS in Tikrit continued. Clashes occurred near the local government building and around Camp Speicher.

Maysan’s police chief stated that the province has sent 920 volunteers to counter ISIS without specifying the areas to which they were sent.

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On June 29, one thousand volunteers were reportedly deployed from Ad Diwaniyah, in Qadesiyah Province to Baghdad to be assigned to military units involved in counter-ing ISIS.

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Gunmen from ISIS and Tribal Military Councils reportedly advanced toward Haditha to take control of the dam. �ey have besieged the 8th IA division and participated in separate clashes.

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An IED targeted an IA patrol in the Yusu�yah area in southern Baghdad, resulting in the death of one IA member and the injury of four IA members.

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ISIS reportedly killed three civilians and wounded another in Mkhalda village, northeast of Diyala Province. �e killings were a response to the civilians taking down an ISIS �ag that was hoisted at the entrance of the village.

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Anti-government gunmen from ISIS, JRTN, the Islamic Army, the Jihad Battalions, and Rashidin Army are reportedly negotiating with representatives from the Haditha-based Jaghaifa and Albu Salman tribes for peaceful access to Haditha. �e safe departure of the Haditha-based ISF members is part of the negotiations.

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IA aviation strikes in di�erent parts of Mosul city likely targeted ISIS. In addition, unidenti�ed gunmen ambushed and killed three ISIS gunmen in the city, including one with Afghan nationality.

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2 JRTN launched mortars at ISIS in the Hamrin Ridge area in Diyala Province during clashes. No casualties were reported.

On June 30, unidenti�ed gunmen launched six mortar rounds targeting the Askari shrine in Samarra. �e attack resulted in the deaths of six civilians and injury to 23 others. Meanwhile, between 1,000 to 2,000 members of the Peace Brigades, a Sadrist military formation, arrived in Samarra. �e forces were accompanied by Ali al-Tamimi, the Sadrist governor of Baghdad.

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Pro-ISF volunteers clashed with ISIS gunmen in Mashahda, north of Baghdad. Two volunteers were killed and �ve others were wounded, while three ISIS gunmen were wounded.

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Four unidenti�ed bodies were found in the Hurriyah, Jihad, and Amel neighborhoods in Baghdad. �ey were likely killed by Iraqi Shi’a militias.

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IA forces positioned outside of Fallujah shelled the areas of Jbel, Shuhada, Nazal, and Jughai�. Nine civilians were killed and 15 others were wounded.

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�ree Russian SU-25 jets �ew from an airbase in western Baghdad over the city to assess readiness under the supervision of Russian experts. �e jets likely �ew out of the Baghdad International Airport.

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1 ISIS gunmen kidnapped 15 members of Iraq’s Shabak minority and detonated IEDs against a Shi’a religious site in the Namrud sub-district, Hamdaniyah district, located southeast of Mosul.

ISIS militants kidnapped civilians from Baiji, who were later found dead. �e source added that the victims were executed because of accusations that they were working with IA intelligence.

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�e 25th brigade of the 17th division of the IA carried out an operation against ISIS in the areas of Tal Loysir and Albu Usaj, north of Mahmudiyah in the southern Baghdad area.

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An anonymous security source stated that an IED detonated in a market in Mahmudiyah resulting in the death of one civilian and wounding four others.

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IA Aviation launched strikes on an orchard, targeting what it said was an ISIS gathering in northern Babil.

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IA Aviation bombarded the Deir Ahmed village of Amerli, near Tuz Khurmatu, Salah ad-Din province. �e source stated that the attack resulted in a large number of ISIS deaths and substantial material losses for ISIS. Another security source stated that Samarra Operations Command (SOC) and IA Aviation launched an attack in the area of Jalam, between Samarra and Tikrit.

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Clashes took place in Karbala between members of the IA and followers of the controversial Iraqi Shi’a religious �gure Mahmoud al-Sarkhi. �e clashes reportedly resulted in the death of 14 of Sarkhi’s followers and 10 ISF members. �e clashes extended to areas of Qadesiyah Province as well. Sarkhi has reportedly departed to an unknown location while the Iraqi Police in Karbala, Qadesiyah, and Basra applied heightened security measures to include arresting large number of his followers.

An anonymous security source stated that clashes took place between ISIS and Peshmerga forces in Jalula. �e source added that the clashes resulted in the death of �ve Peshmerga members and three ISIS members.

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ISIS published images of the “repen-tance” of large numbers of former member of the government security apparatus in Mosul.

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A VBIED detonated in Jaza’ir neighbor-hood, northern Hillah city near the federal court building, 2 VBIEDs detonated in the Imam sub-district in Mahawil, northern Babil. At least 11 individuals were killed and wounded. �e IP in Babil found 50 unidenti�ed dead bodies in the al-Nil area, north of Hillah. �e bodies were reportedly decomposed and had gunshots to the head and some were handcu�ed.

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An airstrike targeted oil tankers in the area of Hamam al-Alil, south of Mosul that caused serious damage with no reported causali-ties. �e reserves included tanks of fuel. �e incident was reported as a drone strike, although the ISF is not known to possess this capability.

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�ree Syrian aircraft carried out airstrikes in Qaim. �e strikes targeted the meteorologi-cal observatory center and the city council, and caused damage to four homes and three shops which resulted in the death of seven civilians and injured six others.

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An anonymous police source in Anbar stated that ISIS gunmen with light and medium weapons attacked the Hurriyah IP station in area known as “5 km,” western Ramadi. �e gunmen also attacked security checkpoints in the “5 km” area leaving �ve IP members dead and three wounded in addition to seizing a military transport vehicle and IP weapons.

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ISIS seized the Sudur mini-dam located approximately 3 miles east of Khalis after clashing heavily with the ISF in the area. �e ISF started an e�ort to retake it. Earlier, ISIS targeted Sudur IP station, in the outskirts of Mansouriya which resulted in the death of one captain and the injury of �ve IP members. �e IA and the IP supported by IA Aviation carried out an operation in the orchards of Sudur.

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IA aviation targeted four homes in Dhuluiyah, south of Samarra killing two individuals and injuring 15 others from the same family. �e local government in the area demanded an investigation by the MoD since the “sub-district has no armed activities.”

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ISF and Militias





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�e local government in Zubair District in Basra created an operations room in order to tighten security in Zubair and the sub-districts of Um Qasr and Safwan. �e mayor of Zubair stated that 2,200 night guards were tasked with security in order to �ll the security gap due to the deployment of some Basra-based ISF units to other provinces.

4 Around 80 gunmen from ISIS launched an attack on Dhuluiya, southeast of Samarra. �e gunmen initiated the attack from the north and clashed heavily with the IP and tribal elements from the Jubouri tribe, resulting in the death of three ISIS members and the injury of seven others while four IP members were killed. Clashes are reportedly ongoing. �e attack was preceded by a VBIED attack on a bridge that connected the district to Balad in order toprevent reinforcements from arriving.

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2 Gunmen from ISIS riding in military and 4x4 civilian vehicles attacked Haditha District from three axes and clashed with the IA, IP, SWAT, volunteers, and tribal element from the Jighaifa tribe for more than four hours. �irteen ISIS gunmen were reportedly killed and �ve vehicles were destroyed while casualties from the other sides were not reported.

�e IA forces stationed outside Fallujah shelled several neighborhoods in the city, resulting in the death of seven individuals including women and a child in addition to the injury of 14 others.

ISISISF

Major Cities

Major ClashArmed Drones

Anti-ISIS Tribes

V Volunteers

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ISIS is launching attacks into Baghdad with a series of VBIEDs in and near the capital in order to set the terms of battle by probing the defenses of pro-government forces and demoralizing them. The e�orts center on the northern belt. The VBIED in Taji's industrial area is particularly signi�cant as ISW continues to assess ISIS's northern approaches to Baghdad and intent regarding ISF bases. ISIS continues to consolidate its gains in Dhuluyia. ISIS continues to destroy houses in ways consistent with the Soldiers' Harvest campaign it has conduct-ed for the past year. ISIS need not be present to cause destruction in a place such as Udhaim, where ISW previously assessed it had a headquarters that it reportedly left several weeks ago. Even though the ISF along with Iraqi Shi’a militias were able to remove ISIS from the area, those forces do not fully control the terrain. The clashes within the ranks of anti-government forces illustrate that ISIS will continue to impose its will on other groups, including the Islamic Army, an Iraqi Sunni insurgency group that fought US forces after 2003, through the use of force despite a conciliatory tone from JRTN leader Izzat al-Duri towards ISIS in his weekend speech.

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Qaim9



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Fallujah

Baqubah

As Sulaymaniyah

ArbilMosul

Basra

An Nasriyah

An Najaf

KarbalaAl Kut

Ar Ramadi

Samarra

Tikrit

Kirkuk

Baghdad

Dahuk

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Al Hillah

Ad Diwaniyah

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Samawa

Rutba

Qaim

Haditha

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A Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED) exploded near a car dealership in the al-Bayaa area, southwestern Baghdad. A second VBIED exploded on 6th Street in the al-Alawi area of central Baghdad. Meanwhile, a third VBIED exploded near an industrial district in Taji, northern Baghdad. �e attacks resulted in the death of four people and injury of 21 people.

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An anonymous security source stated that the Sharia Court in Sharqat was targeted by IA Aviation in the village of al-Sderah, in the vicinity of Sharqat, in northern Salah ad-Din province, resulting in the death of ISIS’s judge in the area, Abu Hajir al-Iraqi.

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ISF and MilitiasISISJRTNPeshmerga

ISF

Anti-ISIS TribesIslamic Army

ISIS clashed with elements of the Islamic Army in the eastern suburbs of Sadia in northern Diyala province. A security source added that eight ISIS members were killed in addition to 11 Islamic Army elements. An additional source stated that ISIS executed 10 members from JRTN and the Islamic Army in Sadia as well.

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ISIS reportedly controls 40 percent of Dhuluiya after two days of ongoing clashes. �e remaining 60 percent is reportedly under the control of members of the Juburi tribes and local police. Residents report that there is no Iraqi Army in Dhuluiya and that population displacement from the area has taken place due to clashes. On July 13, ISIS published photos of its members raising ISIS �ags on top of government buildings in Dhuluiya.

73 ISIS attempted to take control of Amerli sub-district in eastern Tikrit. �e ISIS attack was repelled by a force likely comprised of local and tribal elements in Amerli. �e attack has so far resulted in the death of �ve ISIS members and injury of 15 anti-ISIS tribal �gures. Amerli is predominantly Iraqi Turkmen.

An SVEST attack targeted a Peshmerga checkpoint in the Qara Tapa area in northern Diyala. �e attack resulted in the death or injury of about 11 Peshmerga elements.

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In the last two weeks, ISIS destroyed 41 houses of local o�cials, ISF, and Sahwa (awakening) members in the Udhaim area in northern Diyala.

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Major Cities

Major Clash

AirstrikesVBIED

SVEST


ISIS is likely seeking to establish a presence in Kirkuk city. The pattern of attacks in the city indicates an early replication of previous ISIS e�orts in other parts of Iraq where ISIS was seeking to soften defenses and establish control. In Mosul, photos of the distribution of food aid represent an attempt by ISIS to project a sense of normalcy and a functioning state while avoiding blame in light of reported di�cult living conditions in the city. Furthermore, ISIS is exhibiting signs of con�dence by not protecting the identities of its members in published photos. The Mujahidin Army, an Iraqi Sunni insurgent group founded after 2003, rejected ISIS’s attempt to establish a state. It will be important to watch how ISIS reacts to smaller groups that reject its authority in areas it seeks to control.


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Fallujah

Baqubah

As Sulaymaniyah

ArbilMosul

Basra

An Nasriyah

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KarbalaAl Kut

Ar Ramadi

Samarra

Tikrit

Kirkuk

Baghdad

Dahuk

Al Amarah

Al Hillah

Ad Diwaniyah

Muqdadiyah

Samawa

Rutba

Qaim

Haditha

June 14: 36 ISIS �ghters are killed in Jalawla, Diyala Province following clashes and an attempted attack against a Peshmerga checkpoint.

June 13: ISF and local tribes reclaims the city of Dhuluiya, Salah ad-Din Province from ISIS. Iraqi Police reportedly resumes their posts within the city.

June 14: ISIS executes hundreds of Iraqi Army soldiers captured from Speicher Airbase. ISIS publishes photos of the summary executions on its o�cial social media outlets.

June 12-13: ISIS reportedly captures Speicher Airbase in Salah ad-Din near Tikrit. Video emerges of captured soldiers.

June 14: ISF personnel and Asai’b Ahl al-Haq regained control of Muqdadiyah, Diyala Province after clashes with ISIS.

June 14: Clashes took place between JRTN and ISF in the Udhaim area in Diayala Province.

by Ahmed Ali and Heather L. Pickerell

June 15: ISIS gunmen reportedly took complete control of the sub-district of Sadia, in northeast Diyala Province. Gunmen control Copper Base, which houses the fourth brigade, part of the �fth IA division. Hamrin Lake separates ISIS from the ISF.

June 15: ISF withdrew from a large number of its headquarters and towers on the Iraqi-Syrian borders.

June 15: Forces from the Counter Terrorism Forces, the Rapid Intervention Brigade, and SWAT arrived in Camp Ashraf, in north Diyala Province to enforce the security forces there. �ese forces will be �ghting ISIS in areas in the vicinity of Udhaim, 90km north of Baquba. ISF reported clashes with ISIS near Camp Ashraf. ISIS also attacked a recruitment center in Muqdadiyah.

June 15: An SVEST took place near the shrine of Sheikh Abdul-Qadir al Gilani in central Baghdad, killing 12 individu-als and wounding 30 others.

June 15: Unidenti�ed gunmen (likely ISIS) launched an attack on Tal Afar, west of Mosul. ISF and tribal elements initially repelled the attack. However, there are reports that the city has fallen under ISIS control.

June 15: Unidenti�ed gunmen (likely ISIS) attacked security checkpoints and IA headquarters in the areas of Albu Shajal, areas around the Yabani Bridge, and around Saqlawiya, northwest of Fallujah. �e source added that IA forces withdrew from Saqlawiya.

by Heather L. Pickerell, Ahmed Ali, and ISW Iraq Team

Tal Afar


Major Cities

Major Clash

Suicide Bomber (SVEST)

ISF

ISF Recruitment Center JRTNPeshmerga

Assessed ISIS HQAssessed ISIS Staging Area

Unknown Gunmen (likely ISIS)

June 16: Iraqi Army and police forces supported by 200 tribal elements launched an operation to cleanse the district from ISIS elements.

June 16: ISIS gunmen are reportedly present in various parts of Tal Afar, west of Mosul, and 95% of the residents have departed to the Sinjar area, northwest of Mosul. �e ISF sent reenforcements from the counter-terrorism forces using aerial assets. �ere are con�icting reports about whether Tal Afar military airport has fallen to the gunmen or is still under ISF control. JRTN-leaning groups claimed responsibility for the attacks upon Tal Afar.

June 16: Iraqi Army Aviation foiled an ISIS attempt to storm Baiji Re�nery, north of Tikrit by launching strikes on ISIS elements. Reinforcements were delivered using aerial assets to enhance security in and around the facility. Yesterday, a JRTN-leaning group reported that they besieged the ISF in the facility and were negotiat-ing surrender.

June 16: Two Iraqi border guard brigades were deployed from southern Iraq to Anbar. �e deployment came as the ISF reportedly withdrew from their posts on the Iraqi-Syrian borders, allowing gunmen and smugglers signi�cant freedom of movement.

June 16: �is morning, ISIS gunmen spread to various areas of Qaim district in Anbar Province, and took control of the area’s two Iraqi Police stations. While the Iraqi Army and tribal elements reportedly retook the areas of Ibar, Jazeera, and Dur al-Iskan in Qaim, ISIS gunmen are reported to have gathered in Rumana and Karabla, eastern Qaim.

June 16: Iraqi Police forces clashed with ISIS gunmen in an attempt to retake Udhaim, north of Baquba, which had fallen to ISIS two days ago. �e clashes reportedly resulted in the death of 12 ISIS gunmen and the destruction of eight vehicles. ISF reinforcements are en route.

Tal Afar

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June 17: An Iraqi Army (IA) force found 25 corpses belonging to IA members near a train station in located in western Balad, south of Tikrit.

June 17: Commander of the Iraqi Army (IA) in the district of Tal Afar, Maj. Gen. Khalid al-Khazraji (also known as Abu al-Walid and rumored to have been captured yesterday) stated today that most areas of the district are under ISF control. It is unclear if the four-day-old ISIS assault on Tal Afar has stopped. ISIS gunmen still control areas of the district.

June 17: ISIS reportedly launched assaults on the Gatun, Mualimin, and Mafraq neigbourhoods of Baquba. In Mafraq, the gunmen attacked an IP station but were repelled by the ISF. 44 detainees previously held at the station were killed. �e ISF claim that the assaulting gunmen killed the prisoners, while prominent anti-government social media outlets claim that the ISF executed them.

June 17: Salah ad-Din Police Commander General Hamad al-Namis arrived in Samarra to prepare a counter-attack on Tikrit. Counter Terrorism Services reportedly clashed with ISIS gunmen in Samarra and retook the Baghdad-Samarra highway. IA forces reportedly clashed with gunmen on the road connecting Ishaqi and Balad, resulting in 28 IA injuries. �e road is reportedly under IA control and is now open.

June 17: ISIS gunmen regained control of the local council and Iraqi Police (IP) station in Multaqa, southwest of Kirkuk. IP brie�y retook Multaqa this morning, but then withdrew to Mashru (2km away from Kirkuk). Later in the day, Peshmerga forces clashed with the gunmen in an attempt to retake the area.

June 17: A Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device detonated near the Maridi market in Sadr City, eastern Baghdad, resulting in 8 deaths and 23 injuries.


ISF

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June 18: Unidenti�ed gunmen attacked the Baiji re�nery with mortars and direct �re. PM Maliki’s spokesperson and the Counter Terrorism Services (CTS) have stated that CTS forces control the facility and that 40 gunmen were killed in the clashes. However, ISF control of the re�nery is uncon�rmed. Aerial assets delivered ISF reinforcements to the facility two days ago.

June 18: ISIS reportedly launched 20 mortar rounds at the Alam sub-district east of Tikrit, home to ISF commanders and government o�cials, potentially softening the target before a broader assault.

June 18: Babil Operations Command announced the deployment of 500 volunteers to Buhairat and Jurf al-Sakhar in northern Babil, which are historically areas of ISIS presence. �e volunteers were trained and supplied with military uniforms and weapons. PM Maliki’s Dawa Party leader, Ali al-Alaq, had announced the formation of the volunteers’ brigade on June 16.

June 18: Gunmen, reportedly ISIS elements, armed with medium and heavy weapons in 4x4 vehicles attacked and seized Iraqi Police (IP) stations in Jazeera, Hamdan, and Tiba around Hit, west of Ramadi after IP forces withdrew. No casualties were reported.

June 18: ISIS reportedly repealed the June 13 Madina decree which imposed harsh Sharia law in Mosul. If con�rmed, the decree was likely negated either due to popular opposition or to coordination between ISIS and other armed groups. Most foreign �ghters reportedly departed from Mosul and a small number of ISIS members from rural Ninewa now control parts of the city. June 18: Unknown gunmen reportedly

took three villages located in Salah ad-din Province located between Tuz Khurmatu and Amerli after clashes with the Iraqi Police and Army.

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After the ISF stationed in the Baiji oil re�nery and attacking gunmen negotiated a truce, 200-300 civilian employees reportedly departed the facility. �e extent to which the gunmen and the ISF are in control of parts of the facility is currently unclear.

Two rockets reportedly landed in the vicinity of al-Askari shrine in Samarra, wounding 13 individuals, including ISF members. �ere is no reported damage to the shrine, although any such harm would instigate sectarian violence.

Unidenti�ed gunmen reportedly kidnapped 40 individuals last night from Mada’in, southeast of Baghdad, releasing eight of them shortly after. �is was likely fueled by sectarianism. But it is unclear who is responsible, pending further evidence, given the mixed demographics of the area.

�e Iraqi Police (IP), Iraqi Army (IA), and tribal elements (T) in Diyala launched an operation with IA aviation support in villages located in northern Muqdadiyah.

�e ISF continues operations in parts of Tal Afar. �e extent to which ISF and ISIS forces are in control of speci�c areas is unclear, but Tal Afar remains part of an ISF-controlled frontline.

Unidenti�ed gunmen, likely ISIS elements, reportedly seized food supplies from trucks before they entered Sinjar, northwest of Mosul. �e gunmen demanded the departure of refugees (who �ed Tal Afar as a result of the military operations there) and threatened to prevent the future arrival of supplies.

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ISF forces, volunteers, and tribal elements from Mussayib, northern Babil, reportedly launched an operation in the area of Buhairat, which sparked clashes resulting in the deaths of two volunteers and nine ISIS �ghters.

Mortars landed on Arab Jabour village, northern Muqdadiyah, targeting the joint IA, IP and tribal forces that launched an operation in the vicinity and entered the village yesterday. Also, four ISIS members were reportedly killed in another village in the area amid clashes with the joint forces.

Babil reportedly sent 1,000 "volunteers trained in urban warfare" to the area of Taji, north of Baghdad. �e volunteers were transferred to Taji and will be distributed to support the ISF units in the area. Babil appears to be a major provider of volunteers. �e composition of the volunteer force is unclear, and could likely include veterans of Iraqi Shi’a militias or newly trained volunteers.

Reports indicate that 750 volunteers were sent to the Habbaniya military base located between Ramadi and Fallujah and will be distributed to ISF units in Anbar.

�e chairman of the district council stated that the IA controls half of Tal Afar, west of Mosul, while operations continued. �e chairman added that the vast majority of the residents departed amid the clashes. Also, the Babil local government announced that 2,000 "trained �ghters" were sent to the district. �ose �ghters are likely volunteers and Iraqi Shi’a militias.

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ISIS elements reportedly launched an o�ensive on central Qaim, western Anbar and took control of the municipal council, the customs o�ce, the border crossing with Syria, and the IP station of Qaim. �e gunmen reportedly released detainees while the two IA companies stationed in the area departed their posts.

Clashes resumed today at the Baiji oil re�nery after ISIS gunmen launched an attack. �is comes after a truce was reportedly negotiated yesterday which resulted in the evacuation of civilian employees from the facility. ISIS clashed with Counter Terrorism Services and control of the re�nery remains contested.

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Major Cities

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ISF Movement V Volunteers

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�e ISF foiled an attack targeting the Baiji oil re�nery involving three Suicide Vehicle Borne IEDs in the form of fuel tankers. SVBIEDs are signature ISIS attacks. �e oil re�nery remains contested.

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ISIS elements reportedly captured �ve villages in northern Muqdadiyah, where a joint operation led by the IA, IP and tribal forces was launched two days ago. Northern Muqdadiyah remains a front line.

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IA forces and ISIS elements reportedly clashed at the entrances of Haditha district in western Anbar. Meanwhile, a general curfew was imposed on the district.

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ISIS elements took control of the cities of Rawa and Ana, in western Anbar. �ere are con�icting reports about whether the IA and IP clashed with ISIS or if they left their posts.

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3 ISF reinforcements reportedly arrived in Qaim while an IA brigade commander was killed during clashes with ISIS in eastern Qaim. �e Qaim Border Crossing is now under ISIS control. 7

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�e Sadrist militia organized military parades in Baghdad, Maysan, Basra, Diwaniyah, Karbala, Babil, Muthana, Dhi Qar, Najaf, and Wasit. Promised Day Brigade (PDB) members paraded with medium and heavy weaponry.

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ISIS reportedly clashed with JRTN in the Tar al-Baghal area in southwestern Kirkuk, which resulted in the deaths of nine members of JRTN and eight from ISIS. Also, ISIS reportedly captured Saif al-Din al-Mashadani, a senior member of the Ba’ath Party and JRTN leader, as he was heading from Dur to Hawija. �e clashes occurred as ISIS was reportedly disarming other armed groups.


ISF

Major Cities

Major Clash

SVBIED

ISF Reinforcements

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3x

Rutba and Qaim fell to ISIS on June 22. Iraqi Police (IP) commanders and IA o�cers reportedly met with ISIS leaders and agreed to surrender and hand over their weapons. ISF forces then donned civilian attire and returned home.

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On June 22, three Syrian combat jets reportedly entered Iraqi airspace in western Anbar and destroyed wheat and barley warehouses in Qaim with rocket and cannon �re. �ere were no reported causalities.

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On June 23, ISIS reportedly kidnapped 67 families from Alam who were travelling to Hawija and Iraqi Kurdistan, intending to pressure Alam’s tribes to surrender. Alam, just east of ISIS-controlled Tikrit, represents an anti-ISIS Iraqi Sunni tribal e�ort. On June 22, ISIS clashed with Alam’s tribes. During the clash, ISIS killed a local o�cial; the daughter of a former local leader of the Al-Juburi tribe who was killed by AQI in 2006.

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7 On June 23, ISIS gunmen reportedly attacked an IA convoy on the Kaysh highway, northeast of Al Hillah. �e convoy was transporting 80 prisoners from Al Hillah’s Scorpion Prison to a prison in An Nasiriyah. Approximately 70 prisoners were reportedly killed. �e circumstances of the prisoners’ deaths are unclear, but they were most likely executed by the IA to prevent their escape.

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A Suicide Vehicle-Borne IED reportedly detonated at a Peshmerga security checkpoint on June 23. �e blast destroyed a bridge, which connected Jalula district in Diyala and Kalar district in As Sulaimaniyah, killed three Peshmerga soldiers, and injured three others.

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On June 22, Tal Afar fell to ISIS and the area’s ISF commander General Khalid al-Khazraji (also known as Abu al-Walid) �ed northwest to Sinjar. ISIS published pictures depicting vehicles and dead soldiers abandoned by the Iraqi Army (IA). �e images also depict the bodies of Sunni prisoners allegedly killed by the IA. PM Maliki’s military spokesman con�rmed the fall, describing it as a “tactical withdrawal.” On June 23, IA Aviation launched strikes on the district.

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On June 23, �e IA detonated explosives on the Fhimi Bridge, which connected Haditha and Ana. IA and IP reinforcements reportedly arrived in Haditha after they clashed with ISIS around the district.

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ISISISF

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KidnappingExecution

SVBIEDAnti-ISIS Iraqi Sunni TribesSyrian Government Forces

Airstrikes

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ISF Major Cities

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PeshmergaISF Reinforcements

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Anti-ISIS TribesAirstrikes

After reports that the Baiji oil re�nery fell to ISIS on June 23, the ISF reportedly sent reinforcements while the Iraqi Army (IA) Aviation killed 19 ISIS gunmen in airstrikes near the facility. Seventy-�ve members of the Iraqi Police (IP) or Facility Protection Service, who had been guarding the re�nery, reportedly left after reaching an agreement with ISIS. �e re�nery remains contested as the IA and the Counter Terrorism Services (CTS) actively resist ISIS control.

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On June 23, the ISF, commanded by Hadi al-Amiri, with support from tribal forces and most likely Iraqi Shi’a militias, reportedly cleared Udhaim. Al-Amiri is the leader of the Badr Organization and the Minister of Transportation. �ere are indications that ISIS has booby-trapped most of the homes in the area with explosives. Meanwhile, 700 families departed the area.

Heavy clashes took place between Peshmerga forces, other armed groups, and ISIS in Sadia, northeast of Baquba, prompting dozens of families to depart the area for Khaniqin, Diyala, and Kalar in Sulaimaniyah. �e area remains contested.

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4 �e IP command in Karbala ordered the Federal Police to secure Ayn Tamur, 30 miles west of the city. �e IP has been administering Ayn Tamur until now. �is measure intends to enhance security in the area, after yesterday’s reports indicated that ISIS gunmen clashed with the IA near Nukhaib, west of Karbala.


Major Clash

Anti-ISIS Tribes

KidnappingExecution

JRTN

Heavy clashes involving medium and heavy weapons erupted between ISIS gunmen and the ISF around Balad Airbase. ISIS reportedly controls villages near the airbase, which is 35 miles southeast of Samarra and 25 miles north of Camp Taji.

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1 ISIS gunmen reportedly attacked two Iraqi Turkmen villages north of Mosul, where they detonated IEDs at two Shi’a mosques. �e gunmen previously held a number of residents hostage, prompting dozens of families to leave the villages.

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3 Gunmen from the Hawija Liberation Battalions (HLB) opened �re on a truck transporting ISIS gunmen. ISIS responded by kidnapping two individuals from the area. HLB is most likely composed of members of tribes and JRTN who aim to expel ISIS from Hawija. �e area’s tribal composition and the presence of armed groups will most likely generate more tension as ISIS seeks to dominate.

Reports indicate that ISIS gunmen captured Ajil oil �eld in Hamrin, northeast of Tikrit. �e �eld used to be protected by tribal forces which had withdrawn to protect their villages from ISIS attacks. Production in the �eld stopped after ISIS took control of areas in the vicinity.

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ISF and MilitiasISF ReinforcementsAirstrikesMilitary Parade

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2 ISIS forces withdrew from Alam to the Presidential Palaces Complex in central Tikrit, evacuating Tikrit hospital in the process. ISIS had arrived in Alam on June 23. Central Tikrit has been subject to increased strikes by IA Aviation. Meanwhile, there are reports of an upcom-ing IA-Counter Terrorism Servics (CTS) operation in the city and an air assault by CTS on Tikrit University, located north of the city. It is unclear if ISIS is hardening its positions in Tikrit or withdrawing. Alam has been a �ashpoint of anti-ISIS Iraqi Sunni tribal resistance. Control of the area remains unclear.

Reinforcements from the IA and CTS reportedly arrived in Ishaki to prepare for an assault. Reports from last week indicated that that a joint force from the Ministries of Defense and the Interior had cleared the area. Also, mortar rounds landed on the residence of a tribal leader, who is the �rst deputy governor in central Ishaki, resulting in seven deaths and injury to 25 others.

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ISIS gunmen took control of the Dali Abass sub-district, seven miles north of Muqdadiyah, which they held for three hours. �e gunmen clashed with a joint force, most likely composed of the IA, tribal forces, and Iraqi Shi’a militias. �e joint force killed seven ISIS gunmen and burned six vehicles.

An SVEST detonated in the area of Bab al-Dirwaz near the shrine of Imam al-Kadhim in northern Baghdad, killing at least 22 and injuring 44 others. Attacks near the shrine are rare and will likely trigger further mobiliza-tion by Iraqi Shi’a militias in the capital. �is attack, along with an SVEST attack in Mahmudiya on June 25, indicate the resumation of suicide attacks which had noticeably declined since the fall of Mosul.

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ISIS reportedly conducted a large armed parade in Hawija to recapture control after it met resistance from tribes and other armed groups in the area.

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ISIS and a joint force of ISF and tribal forces clashed in Barwana, eight miles south of the Haditha Dam. IA and CTS have been reinforcing the dam since June 21 to protect it from a potential ISIS attack. ISIS famously took the Fallujah Dam at the beginning of this year, �ooding surrounding areas and cutting o� water supply to southern and central Iraq.

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Raid

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�e ISF clashed with unidenti�ed gunmen, likely ISIS, around Tikrit University. �e clashes followed the ISF’s June 26 assault on the university.

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2 Unidenti�ed gunmen targeted the ISF with mortar rounds in central Samarra and the Jalam area to the east of the city. �ree ISF members were killed and another 25 were wounded.

ISIS gunmen and other groups clashed with the Iraqi Army (IA) and Police (IP) in the Tamim area in western Ramadi, taking control of the area following IA and IP withdrawal. �e gunmen were in control of Tamim’s police station and reportedly captured 12 HUMVEEs, two tanks, four APCs and large amounts of ammunition.

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Four mortar rounds landed on Mahmudiyah, south of Baghdad, resulting in four deaths and eight injured. Mahmudiyah had witnessed an SVEST attack on June 25. Both attacks were likely carried out by ISIS.

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�e 17th IA Division launched an operation in the Lati�yah area in southern Baghdad, reportedly killing two snipers along with 13 others.

7

5 A joint force composed of the ISF, pro-government tribes, and likely Iraqi Shi’a militias clashed with ISIS in Sadia, in northeastern Diyala Province.

�e ISF raided compounds in the Salhia area, and detained 12 individuals. �e Baghdad Municipality also sent a number of its crews to establish forti�cations in the northern areas of the city and block roads that may be used by anti-government gunmen approaching Baghdad.

3


Major Clash

Airstrikes Peshmerga

ISF Movement

ISIS launched a mortar attack on the Peshmerga stationed in the Bashir village of Taza district, southern Kirkuk. �e attack left seven Peshmerga members injured. �e Peshmerga responded using heavy artillery and mortar rounds. Bashir is predominantly Iraqi Shi’a Turkmen and has been a continual stando� point between the Peshmerga and ISIS in southern Kirkuk since June 17.

6

61

2

85

3

IA Aviation reportedly attacked the neighborhoods of Risala, Asri, and Tamim in Baiji, killing six and wounding 10 others, including women and children. 1

2 ISF clashes with ISIS in Tikrit continued. Clashes occurred near the local government building and around Camp Speicher.

Maysan’s police chief stated that the province has sent 920 volunteers to counter ISIS without specifying the areas to which they were sent.

8

On June 29, one thousand volunteers were reportedly deployed from Ad Diwaniyah, in Qadesiyah Province to Baghdad to be assigned to military units involved in counter-ing ISIS.

5

Gunmen from ISIS and Tribal Military Councils reportedly advanced toward Haditha to take control of the dam. �ey have besieged the 8th IA division and participated in separate clashes.

3

4

An IED targeted an IA patrol in the Yusu�yah area in southern Baghdad, resulting in the death of one IA member and the injury of four IA members.

4

ISIS reportedly killed three civilians and wounded another in Mkhalda village, northeast of Diyala Province. �e killings were a response to the civilians taking down an ISIS �ag that was hoisted at the entrance of the village.

7

7

Tribal Military Councils

Armed Drones

ISIS

ISF

Anti-ISIS Tribal Forces

ISIS and anti-ISF gunmen

JRTN

Unknown gunmen

ISF and MilitiasMajor Cities

Major Clash

AirstrikesExecution

3

5

1

6 2

7

48

Anti-government gunmen from ISIS, JRTN, the Islamic Army, the Jihad Battalions, and Rashidin Army are reportedly negotiating with representatives from the Haditha-based Jaghaifa and Albu Salman tribes for peaceful access to Haditha. �e safe departure of the Haditha-based ISF members is part of the negotiations.

3

IA aviation strikes in di�erent parts of Mosul city likely targeted ISIS. In addition, unidenti�ed gunmen ambushed and killed three ISIS gunmen in the city, including one with Afghan nationality.

1

2 JRTN launched mortars at ISIS in the Hamrin Ridge area in Diyala Province during clashes. No casualties were reported.

On June 30, unidenti�ed gunmen launched six mortar rounds targeting the Askari shrine in Samarra. �e attack resulted in the deaths of six civilians and injury to 23 others. Meanwhile, between 1,000 to 2,000 members of the Peace Brigades, a Sadrist military formation, arrived in Samarra. �e forces were accompanied by Ali al-Tamimi, the Sadrist governor of Baghdad.

6

Pro-ISF volunteers clashed with ISIS gunmen in Mashahda, north of Baghdad. Two volunteers were killed and �ve others were wounded, while three ISIS gunmen were wounded.

7

Four unidenti�ed bodies were found in the Hurriyah, Jihad, and Amel neighborhoods in Baghdad. �ey were likely killed by Iraqi Shi’a militias.

8

IA forces positioned outside of Fallujah shelled the areas of Jbel, Shuhada, Nazal, and Jughai�. Nine civilians were killed and 15 others were wounded.

4

�ree Russian SU-25 jets �ew from an airbase in western Baghdad over the city to assess readiness under the supervision of Russian experts. �e jets likely �ew out of the Baghdad International Airport.

5

ISISISF


Major Cities

Major Clash

AirstrikesExecution

Kidnapping

4

4

1

83

2

7

6

1 ISIS gunmen kidnapped 15 members of Iraq’s Shabak minority and detonated IEDs against a Shi’a religious site in the Namrud sub-district, Hamdaniyah district, located southeast of Mosul.

ISIS militants kidnapped civilians from Baiji, who were later found dead. �e source added that the victims were executed because of accusations that they were working with IA intelligence.

2

�e 25th brigade of the 17th division of the IA carried out an operation against ISIS in the areas of Tal Loysir and Albu Usaj, north of Mahmudiyah in the southern Baghdad area.

3

An anonymous security source stated that an IED detonated in a market in Mahmudiyah resulting in the death of one civilian and wounding four others.

75

IA Aviation launched strikes on an orchard, targeting what it said was an ISIS gathering in northern Babil.

8

IA Aviation bombarded the Deir Ahmed village of Amerli, near Tuz Khurmatu, Salah ad-Din province. �e source stated that the attack resulted in a large number of ISIS deaths and substantial material losses for ISIS. Another security source stated that Samarra Operations Command (SOC) and IA Aviation launched an attack in the area of Jalam, between Samarra and Tikrit.

5

Clashes took place in Karbala between members of the IA and followers of the controversial Iraqi Shi’a religious �gure Mahmoud al-Sarkhi. �e clashes reportedly resulted in the death of 14 of Sarkhi’s followers and 10 ISF members. �e clashes extended to areas of Qadesiyah Province as well. Sarkhi has reportedly departed to an unknown location while the Iraqi Police in Karbala, Qadesiyah, and Basra applied heightened security measures to include arresting large number of his followers.

An anonymous security source stated that clashes took place between ISIS and Peshmerga forces in Jalula. �e source added that the clashes resulted in the death of �ve Peshmerga members and three ISIS members.

6

ISIS published images of the “repen-tance” of large numbers of former member of the government security apparatus in Mosul.

9

9

ISISISF



Airstrikes

Kidnapping

IED

ISISISF

Unknown gunmen



SVBIED

Armed Drones

ISF and Militias

41

3


2

1


2


3

5



5

4


Major Clash

Armed Drones


Basra


1


2


4

5



8

6


3


5


7

8

ISISISF


Armed Drones

VBIEDExecution Shia militias

Airstrikes

Raid

Military Parade

A VBIED detonated in Jaza’ir neighbor-hood, northern Hillah city near the federal court building, 2 VBIEDs detonated in the Imam sub-district in Mahawil, northern Babil. At least 11 individuals were killed and wounded. �e IP in Babil found 50 unidenti�ed dead bodies in the al-Nil area, north of Hillah. �e bodies were reportedly decomposed and had gunshots to the head and some were handcu�ed.

4

1

3

An airstrike targeted oil tankers in the area of Hamam al-Alil, south of Mosul that caused serious damage with no reported causali-ties. �e reserves included tanks of fuel. �e incident was reported as a drone strike, although the ISF is not known to possess this capability.

2

1

�ree Syrian aircraft carried out airstrikes in Qaim. �e strikes targeted the meteorologi-cal observatory center and the city council, and caused damage to four homes and three shops which resulted in the death of seven civilians and injured six others.

2

An anonymous police source in Anbar stated that ISIS gunmen with light and medium weapons attacked the Hurriyah IP station in area known as “5 km,” western Ramadi. �e gunmen also attacked security checkpoints in the “5 km” area leaving �ve IP members dead and three wounded in addition to seizing a military transport vehicle and IP weapons.

4

5

ISIS seized the Sudur mini-dam located approximately 3 miles east of Khalis after clashing heavily with the ISF in the area. �e ISF started an e�ort to retake it. Earlier, ISIS targeted Sudur IP station, in the outskirts of Mansouriya which resulted in the death of one captain and the injury of �ve IP members. �e IA and the IP supported by IA Aviation carried out an operation in the orchards of Sudur.

8

6

IA aviation targeted four homes in Dhuluiyah, south of Samarra killing two individuals and injuring 15 others from the same family. �e local government in the area demanded an investigation by the MoD since the “sub-district has no armed activities.”

3


5


7

6

7 8



4

2

1

5

7

2


4

6


1


ISF and Militias





ISISISF

Major Cities

Major Clash

Armed Drones

SVBIED

Shi’a militias

Airstrikes

PeshmergaShi’a Militias Movement Projected Movement

64

15 7

2


4


1

3

3



5




ISISISF

Major Cities

Major Clash


6

Kidnapping

Unknown gunmen


7

9

9



10

Airstrikes

10

8

8

Anti-ISIS TribesISF and Militias

V Volunteers

PeshmergaMujahidin Army

4

1

5

7

2

Unidenti�ed gunmen destroyed the Albu Ghaib Bridge in the Saqlawiyah area in Anbar province. �e bridge connects the Saqlawiyah with Ramadi.

4

�e Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) published photos of its members distributing food supplies to families, presumably in Mosul. �e supplies are provided in bags stamped with “Relief Department-Islamic State” labels. Notably, ISIS members do not have their faces covered or pixilated in the photos as is normally ISIS procedure. �e photos emerged as ISIS has reportedly instructed food ration agents not to distribute food to Iraqi Christians, Yazidis, or Shabak.

1

3

3

An IED attack targeted an IA patrol in the village of Arab Jassim in Yusu�yah, resulting in the death of one IA member and the injury of four. A mortar attack targeted Yusu�yah as well resulting in the death of a civilian and the injury of two children.

2 ISF launched a clearing operation in Tikrit, reportedly involving counter-terrorism, IA, and IP forces. �e operation was named “al-Saif al-Batar” [“�e Severing Sword”] and was launched from the southern and northern parts of the city. �ere are reports that the ISF were able to secure important locations in the city including the Tikrit hospital and police academy. However, other security sources indicate that ISF push into the city was hampered by ISIS snipers.

5

�e Mujahidin Army, an Iraqi Sunni insurgent group founded after 2003, reportedly distributed lea�ets in the northern neighborhoods of Diyala in which it rejected pledging allegiance to ISIS head Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Reportedly, the lea�ets also criticized the establishment of the ISIS “Caliphate.”

Two VBIEDs targeted an Iraqi Army and a volunteers’ convoy near a restaurant in southern Samarra. �e attack resulted in the death of �ve people and injury of 23 others.

ISISISF

Major Cities

Major Clash

Armed Drones

67

Two VBIEDs detonated near the Hay market in Sadr city that resulted in the death of 7 people and injury of 34 people.

6 �ree attacks took place in the southern parts of Kirkuk city. An explosion targeted a police patrol in the Wasiti neighborhood in Kirkuk resulting in the injury of one person. In the Aruba neighborhood, a “primitive” bomb targeted the house of a member of the anti-crime department in the city and also resulted in the injury of his son who is a member of the Peshmerga. In the Sikak neighborhood, an IED attack targeted the house of the head of the Iraqi Turkmen Front’s o�ce in Diyala.

88

V

VBIED

by ISW Iraq Team and Nichole Dicharry

100km

Fallujah

Baqubah

As Sulaymaniyah

ArbilMosul

Basra

An Nasriyah

An Najaf

KarbalaAl Kut

Ar Ramadi

Samarra

Tikrit

Kirkuk

Baghdad

Dahuk

Al Amarah

Al Hillah

Ad Diwaniyah

Muqdadiyah

Samawa

Rutba

Qaim

Haditha

Peshmerga

Airstrikes

4

1

5

7

2

Heavy clashes took place between ISIS and the Peshmerga near the Tal al-Ward area, 20 km southwest of Kirkuk city. �e clashes are reportedly ongoing and ISIS mortar attacks resulted in the injury of 21 Peshmerga members.

4

A local leader of Ansar al-Sunna, an Iraqi Sunni armed group, was found decapitated in the outskirts of Sadia after he disappeared from the area last week.

1

33

Security forces found 12 unidenti�ed dead bodies in di�erent areas of Baghdad.

2 Two hundred families �ed the area of Tajnid, southern Julula, after ISIS gunmen took control of large areas of the neighborhood. Also, the Peshmerga clashed with gunmen in the area of Wihda, southern Julula.

5

ISIS reportedly destroyed 20 houses that belonged to ISF personnel in Hawija.

�e members of the Iraqi Security Forces that launched the assault on Tikrit yesterday retreated from their positions. �ey faced heavy clashes with ISIS and their progress was hampered by booby-trapped buildings.

ISISISF

Major Cities

Major Clash

Armed Drones

6

7

A VBIED detonated in central Hit which resulted in the death of �ve individuals and injured nine others.

6 ISIS cut the water supply from reaching the area of Makhmur, located south of Mosul and controlled by the KRG. ISIS reportedly cut the water after the local government of Makhmur cut the electricity from Arab villages in the vicinity. Residents in Makhmur demonstrated for the restoration of services.

8

8

VBIED


ISIS continues its o�ensive into Kurdish areas along Kirkuk City and along the Arab-Kurd contested Green Line along the Hamrin Ridge. ISIS’s attacks in Kirkuk escalated after July 9 when, according to security sources, ISIS conducted an armed parade of vehicles in the areas southwest of Kirkuk, demonstrating its military capabilities around the city. ISIS’s contest for Jalula, along the Hamrin Ridge, has been underway since the fall of Mosul. ISIS had engaged tribal elders in Jalula on July 8 in order to gain control of some Arab neighborhoods there through negotiation after a series of clashes with Peshmerga in previous weeks. ISW assesses that ISIS is conducting a deliberate campaign for Kurdish areas in Iraq, possibly to divert pressure by Peshmerga forces elsewhere and possibly to set conditions for further operations. ISIS continues to prioritize the Middle Euphrates. ISIS has likely designed the attack in Hit to set conditions for further attacks on Haditha or Ramadi by targeting local tribes and civilians. ISIS has so far failed to gain control of Haditha despite three attempts on the city by force as well as by negotiation. ISIS continues to leverage its ability to control water resources to put pressure on inhabited areas, cutting water to villages in Makhmur. ISIS has previously used its control of the Fallujah dam to deny water to Shi’a population centers and to �ood parts of Baghdad. The ISF countero�ensive in Tikrit continued, though the �ghting forces retreated tactically after encountering ISIS’s signature booby-trapped buildings. Iraqi Shi’a militias continue to be active in Baghdad as execution-style killings are again taking place in the city.

Ansar al-Sunna

9

Airstrikes targeted a power station in Mosul University which rendered the station inoperable and injured 10 individuals. Also, an airstrike targeted the area of Rashediya, northwestern Mosul, which resulted in the death of two individuals and injured four others from one family.

9

Shi’a militias

by Ahmed Ali, ISW Iraq Team and Heather L. Pickerell

100km

Fallujah

Baqubah

As Sulaymaniyah

ArbilMosul

Basra

An Nasriyah

An Najaf

KarbalaAl Kut

Ar Ramadi

Samarra

Tikrit

Kirkuk

Baghdad

Dahuk

Al Amarah

Al Hillah

Ad Diwaniyah

Muqdadiyah

Samawa

Rutba

Qaim

Haditha

7

5

1

6

93

4

82

AirstrikesMajor Cities

Major Clash

Kidnapping PeshmergaISISISF

Shi’a militias


The ISIS assault in Bashir, 30km south of Kirkuk city, continued with attacks upon Shi’a religious centers, shrines, and political party headquarters. These indicate the level of control ISIS has in the area. Furthermore, ISIS may be attempting to split Peshmerga forces along the extensive exposed border region between Sinjar and Jalula; it is, however, possible that ISIS will escalate attacks upon Kirkuk city if it achieves sustained control of Bashir. ISIS has also launched an attack upon COB Speicher west of Tikrit, seizing an air�eld that was likely key to ISF aerial resupply and reinforcement in northern Iraq. The persistent e�ort by ISIS to establish control of Amerli, east of Tikrit suggests that ISIS means to weed out this pocket of resistance. The Sadrist Peace Brigades charged with the perimeter security of Samarra have reportedly launched operations in areas east of the city. Nevertheless, ISIS has wide operational presence to the east and west of Samarra; these ISIS elements are likely to continue their activities south of Samarra in the vicinity of Balad and Taji. ISIS may also be encroaching upon Ramadi from the west, indicating that they can �ex among o�ensive e�orts in Haditha, Hit, and Ramadi in order to maximize resources to take all three cities. Meanwhile, ISIS mortar �re in northern Baghdad and an IED factory south of Baghdad indicate the emergence of support zones in both areas. Continued reports of murdered civilians in Baghdad indicate the further pursuit of localized control by Shi’a militias within the capital.

6 Airstrikes targeted the water treatment plan in eastern Mosul which cut water supplies from reaching the eastern part of Mosul. ISIS published images yesterday of the workers �xing the pipes after they were damaged due to strikes.

7 Clashes continued for the second day near Tal al-Ward, southwestern Kirkuk, between ISIS militants and Peshmerga forces. So far, the clashes have resulted in the death of two Peshmerga members and injury of 53 others.

8 Security sources and eyewitnesses in Kirkuk reported that ISIS militants blew up several Shi’a religious centers, shrines, and political party headquarters in the village of Bashir, 30km south of the city of Kirkuk.

2 IA Aviation targeted the Abu-Ajil Hospital, located east of Tikrit. �e hospital reportedly houses wounded ISIS �ghters.

3 On July 16, ISIS �red mortar rounds for the third day on the Amerli sub-district east of Tikrit which resulted in the injury of “dozens” of the residents. �is area has been surrounded by ISIS for 33 days and its local leader stated that the IA aviation drops 10% of the needed water and food supplies.

�e Sadrist Peace Brigades �ghters reportedly launched operations in the Al-Rusa�, Al-Shwarib, and Al-Jalam areas in Samarra district. Sources indicate that the areas have been cleared of ISIS but that remains uncon�rmed.

9

An attack targeted a Shi’a religious center in the Shorja neighborhood. �ere are con�icting reports that it was either an IED or an SVEST attack. Four unidenti�ed bodies were found in Zaara�a, Ur, and Shula areas. Two mortar shells landed in the Sabaa al-Bur District in northern Baghdad. Unidenti�ed gunmen kidnapped the imam of a mosque in the al-Baladiyat neighborhood in eastern Baghdad. An IED exploded near a Sahwa force checkpoint in the village of Albu Aitha, in Dora southern Baghdad. A force from the 1st Federal Police (FP) division discovered an IED-manufacturing plant in Kwerish District, southern Baghdad. �e attacks resulted in the death of 8 people and injury of 29.

5

An anonymous tribal source stated that dozens of civilians �ed their homes in the al-Tamim neighborhood, in western Ramadi, after militants took control of the area. Families reportedly �ed to Hit and al-Baghdadi, west of Ramadi.

4

Heavy clashes took place at the southern entrance of Tikrit last night between IA and volunteers and ISIS. ISIS gunmen �red mortar rounds on Camp Speicher which damaged two helicopters. ISIS now reportedly controls a runway at the base after launching a wide attack on July 17.

1


100km

Fallujah

Baqubah

As Sulaymaniyah

ArbilMosul

Basra

An Nasriyah

An Najaf

KarbalaAl Kut

Ar Ramadi

Samarra

Tikrit

Kirkuk

Baghdad

Dahuk

Al Amarah

Al Hillah

Ad Diwaniyah

Muqdadiyah

Samawa

Rutba

Qaim

Haditha

83

6

5

9

1

2

10

Major Cities

Major ClashISISISF

Shi’a militiasArmed Drones


ISIS is gaining momentum in the �ght for Tikrit, with multiple reports of ISIS in�ltration of COB Speicher and clashes in areas of the city where the ISF had previously established �xed positions. It is not yet clear whether the ISF will establish complete control over COB Speicher, but its loss would disrupt the ability of the ISF to reinforce and resupply northern positions. ISIS also continued to strike positions north of Balad airbase on the east and west of the river, south of the Samarra line. The bodies in the river near Samarra were most likely victims of Shi’a militias that are participating in the layered defense of Samarra; however ISIS controls areas such as Dour to the north of Samarra, and therefore attribution is uncertain. ISIS also clashed with the ISF, Shi’a militias, and popular forces in Amerli, Muqdadiyah, and northern Babil. Clashes in Amerli will indicate whether the ISF can withstand an ISIS siege. Clashes in Muqdadiyah will indicate whether the ISF can clear ISIS from an urban area and hold it. The departure of Christian families from Mosul indicates that ISIS is consolidating social control in part by encouraging population displacement of religious minorities. ISW notes that no major cities have changed hands between ISIS and the ISF since July 13, 2014, but attacks by ISIS and the ISF are ongoing on multiple fronts.

1 ISIS in Mosul gave Christian residents a deadline to depart the city by tomorrow or they would be killed. Dozens of Christian families already departed to areas southeast and north of Mosul.

2 Heavy clashes took place between ISIS and the ISF in Tikrit University. �e university was previously recaptured by the ISF.

3 A security force found 20 unidenti�ed dead bodies �oating in the Tigris near Samarra.

10 ISIS launched an attack on Dhuluiya from northwest of the city. �e attack initiated clashes between tribal forces from the Jubur tribe, IP, and ISIS.

An SVBIED targeted a Federal police (FP) checkpoint near the area of Mahatat Balad, located on the Baghdad-Mosul highway, northwest of Balad Airbase. �e attacks resulted in the death of six FP members and the injury of three others.

9

�e ISF, with the likely participation of Iraqi Shi’a militias, clashed with ISIS in the areas of Haruniya, Tawakul, and Nawfal, in the district of Muqdadiyah. Uncon�rmed reports indicated that the areas were cleared by the ISF. Meanwhile, ISIS gunmen detonated IEDs on a bridge in Haruniya that connected Muqdadiyah to Khanaqin.

8

6 Heavy clashes took place between ISIS and security forces and volunteers in the areas of Seidat and Fariseya, northern Babil. �e clashes resulted in the death of �ve volunteers and the injury of 10 others in addition to the death of 15 ISIS elements and the injury of an unspeci�ed number of others who were evacuated by other ISIS members to an unknown location.

�e IA forces outside Fallujah continued shelling the city, which resulted in the death of 9 individuals and the injury of 19 others.

5

4

Dismounted gunmen from ISIS in�ltrated COB Speicher in the early hours of the morning. �e gunmen clashed with security forces inside the base and carried out at least one SVEST attack on IA helicopters, which damaged at least three of them.

4

SVEST

Unknown Gunmen

7

7 ISIS launched an attack on the area of Amerli, south of Tuz Khurmatu, using automatic weapons, mortars, and hand grenades. �e area is predominantly Iraqi Turkmen and is defended by the ISF, tribal forces, and forces from the Popular Mobilization that most likely include Iraqi Shi’a militias.

Anti-Government Tribes

V

V VolunteersSVBIEDAnti-ISIS Tribes

by Ahmed Ali, Kimberly Kagan, Jessica D. Lewis, and Nichole Dicharry

100km

Fallujah

Baqubah

As Sulaymaniyah

ArbilMosul

Basra

An Nasriyah

An Najaf

KarbalaAl Kut

Ar Ramadi

Samarra

Tikrit

Kirkuk

Baghdad

Dahuk

Al Amarah

Al Hillah

Ad Diwaniyah

Muqdadiyah

Samawa

Rutba

Qaim

Haditha

VBIED

PeshmergaISF

ISISAsayesh

Armed DronesMajor Clash

Major Cities

3

5

2

14


ISIS’s VBIED command is active again, launching its �rst signature wave of Vehicle-Born Improvised Explosive Devices (VBIEDs) since the beginning of the Mosul o�ensive. The last VBIED wave occurred on May 13, 2014. VBIED waves, de�ned as six or more attacks on a single day, are the signature pattern of attacks that ISIS pursued as it gained strength in 2012 and 2013. The successful VBIEDs detonated in Baghdad’s Shi’a neighborhoods. This renewed capability is particularly signi�cant because the ISF and Shi’a militia groups have deployed thickly through Baghdad, particularly in these Shi’a neighborhoods. The Shi’a militia group Asai’b Ahl al-Haq, for example, has been prominent in Abu Dashir since late 2012, for example. ISW assesses that ISIS intends to continue VBIED waves in Baghdad and elsewhere through the end of Ramadan. Meanwhile, ISIS has extended its campaign against primarily Kurdish-protected areas by attempting a complex attack in Sinjar using both a VBIED and a Suicide Vest. Sinjar, which has been quiet since Tal Afar fell, may become a more signi�-cant focus for ISIS as it attempts to complete its line of communication from Mosul, Iraq to ar-Raqqa, Syria. Events in Syria may also be driving the timing of this attack, as ISIS completed its military operation to connect its line of communication between its strongholds in ar-Raqqa and Deir ez-Zour. ISIS continued its campaign for social and religious control in Mosul. After driving out Christians yesterday, ISIS imposed further measures on rents, marriages, and female dress. ISIS and the ISF continued their �ght for areas outside of Muqdadiya, which an anonymous source prematurely reported yesterday as having been cleared by Iraqi forces.

1 Peshmerga forces stationed in Sinjar stopped a VBIED driven by a person wearing an SVEST before he was able to detonate either one. �e event occurred near the Tal Banat residential complex south of Sinjar. �is follows reported clashes between the Peshmerga and ISIS in Sinjar on July 17 and recent targeting of Tal Banat with mortars. �e Tal Banat complex is reportedly home to Yazidis and IDPs from Tal Afar.

2 A member of the Iraqi Kurdish security forceknown as Asayesh was injured when an IED targeted his house in the Askari neighborhood in southern Kirkuk. His brother was also injured inthe attack.

3 Clashes continued between ISF and ISIS in the Tawakul, Nawfal, and Sudur areas near Muqdadiyah.

Six Vehicle-Born Improvised Explosive Devices (VBIEDs) exploded in �ve neighborhoods in Baghdad city. �e VBIEDs exploded in Jihad in southwestern Baghdad; Kadhmiyah in northern Baghdad near a Shi’a religious center; in al-Bayaa in southwestern Baghdad, in the Ilam neighborhood; the Abu Dashir area in the Dora neighborhood, in southern Baghdad, targeting an ISF checkpoint; and in the Saydiyah neighborhood. Casualty �gures from the attacks range between 70 to over 90 killed or injured.

5

ISIS religious and judicial bodies in Ninewa issued decrees specifying the amount of rent to be charged for property, forbade marriages outside its courts, and forbade clothing stores from selling women’s gowns that are “tight, transparent, or embroidered.”

4

by Ahmed Ali, Kimberly Kagan, and Aaron Reese

100km

Fallujah

Baqubah

As Sulaymaniyah

ArbilMosul

Basra

An Nasriyah

An Najaf

KarbalaAl Kut

Ar Ramadi

Samarra

Tikrit

Kirkuk

Baghdad

Dahuk

Al Amarah

Al Hillah

Ad Diwaniyah

Muqdadiyah

Samawa

Rutba

Qaim

Haditha

Airstrikes

8

3

65

1

2

Major CitiesISISISF

Shi’a militiasArmed Drones


The situation in the vicinity of Baghdad continues to intensify. ISIS has emplaced IEDs in places such as Mada’in, Yusi�yah, and Mahmudiyah in the southern belts of Baghdad. ISIS has previously conducted IED or suicide attacks in these three locations. ISIS may use these locations as possible avenues of approach if it decides to attack Baghdad from the southern belt of the city. ISIS may also be attempting to restrict the ISF’s mobility corridors in those areas. Iraqi Shi’a militia executions inside Baghdad may increase in response to the VBIED wave in Shi’a neighborhoods on 19 July. Kidnapping and reprisal killings will cause major concern for Iraqi Sunni civilians in the city. The deployment of volunteers from southern Iraq to Kirkuk province signi�es the spread of their role to protect shrines in areas where ISIS is making advances. The reallocation of Iraqi Security Forces from Baghdad to Dhuluiya signals the real challenge that ISIS poses there. ISW has assessed that ISIS may try to draw the ISF out of Baghdad in advance of more robust attacks there.

1 Four airstrikes reportedly targeted the Wihda neighborhood in eastern Mosul and the Jawsaq neighborhood in southwestern Mosul. �e strikes resulted in the injury of 9 people and destruction of 12 houses.

3 Sources from the Fallujah hospital reported that 15 people were killed, including women and children, when shelling targeted various neighborhoods in Fallujah. 20-27 were injured in the attacks. According to the sources, the shelling included mortars, barrel bombs, and rockets.

2 Iraqi Security Forces reportedly sent reinforcements from Baghdad to the Dhuluiya area, north of Baghdad, to shore up the defenses of the anti-ISIS tribes and forces in the area. According to reports, ISIS is now based in the areas of Kbeba in the east and Khazraj and Bajwari in the north of the area. ISIS is reportedly targeting Dhuluiya from these areas.

An IED detonated in the Mada’in area resulting in the death of 3 civilians and injury of �ve civilians.

8

6 An IED targeted a police patrol in the Yusi�yah area, south of Baghdad. Two policemen were killed while �ve were injured.

�ree people were killed and three people were injured when “multiple mortar rounds” landed in the Mahmudiyah area, south of Baghdad.

5

4

Security forces discovered four unidenti�ed bodies in the neighborhoods of Amal, Shaab, and Bayaa.

4

7

7 A Katyusha rocket landed in the Taza area, 20 km south of Kirkuk resulting in the injury of nine people from the same family. Meanwhile, 200 volunteers from southern Iraq arrived in Kirkuk. �e volunteers �ew from the Najaf airport in southern Iraq to Sulaimaniyah’s airport and will be assigned to protect the Imam Zain al-Abdin Bin Ali shrine in Daquq which is located approximately 40 km south of Kirkuk.

V

V VolunteersAnti-ISIS Tribes


100km

Fallujah

Baqubah

As Sulaymaniyah

ArbilMosul

Basra

An Nasriyah

An Najaf

KarbalaAl Kut

Ar Ramadi

Samarra

Tikrit

Kirkuk

Baghdad

Dahuk

Al Amarah

Al Hillah

Ad Diwaniyah

Muqdadiyah

Samawa

Rutba

Qaim

Haditha

Armed Drones

Major Clash


5 A security source in Diyala stated that clashes occurred between Ansar al-Sunna elements and ISIS elements in al-Asaker area, north of Sadia in northeastern Diyala Province. �e clashes resulted in the death of six Ansar al-Sunna members and �ve ISIS �ghters.

56

4

2

1

3

Major CitiesISISISF

Shi’a militias

V VolunteersAnsar al-Sunna

Airstrikes

6 Security sources in Salah ad-Din Province stated that at least three mortar rounds landed on the volunteer headquarters located in Bank Street of central Samarra City. Other sources, however, claimed that the rounds fell approximately 60-70 meters from the Al-Askari Shrine. Twenty volunteers were injured as a result of the attacks.

V

4 According to Lieutenant General Rashid Fleih, commander of the Anbar Operations Command (AOC), the ISF launched operations in al-Garma (east of Fallujah), al-Nuaimiya (south of Fallujah), and ISIS bases in Saqlawiyah (north of Fallujah).

A source in Hawijah stated that 10 people were killed and 20 were wounded after IA Aviation targeted a residential area in central Hawijah. A source added that these areas contain the ISIS Shari’a courts.

2

ISIS published images of military training it is carrying out in Ninewa for “volunteers.” �e photos show training that includes religious lessons and introduction to light weaponry. Some trainees are dressed in Afghan-style garments and children and youth are shown receiving training as well.

1

3 ISIS published images of its forces distributing �our to families in al-Qaim. �ose receiving the �our are described as “poor families.”

The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) continues to consolidate its governance presence in Mosul and western Iraq. This state of a�airs contradicts reports that ISIS is ceding power in Mosul to other armed groups including the Ba’athist JRTN. On the other hand, Diyala continues to be the front line where ISIS continues to vie for power with other groups. These dynamics and competition will continue to be manifested as events unfold. It is di�cult to con�rm the veracity that ISIS is distributing aid to “poor families” in Qaim. It is clear, however, that ISIS propaganda seeks to portray it as an organization that is responsive to local needs. It will be important to watch the e�ect of this strategy on the population’s response. The Iraqi Security Forces’ (ISF) multiple and repeated attempts in the last seven months to regain parts of Anbar are indicative of the di�culties the ISF will face in retaking bigger urban centers such as Mosul and Tikrit. Nonetheless, the ISF are likely launching these operations to prevent ISIS from taking control of Ramadi and Haditha in Anbar province.

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