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19 March 2017

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19 March 2017 DAILY SUMMARY – 19 MARCH 2017 1. Security forces seize the tile factory and other areas west of Mosul 2. IS frontline attacks and abductions leading to displacements in Salah ad Din 3. Multiple security operations in different areas of Anbar with moderate effects 4. IED attack against Iraqi Army patrol kills one and wounds two others west of Baghdad 5. Hand grenade used in intimidation attack at a local school in Diwaniyah 6. Demonstration by students in Basra North: Developments in the Mosul Campaign during this period were highlighted by the seizure of the Mosul Tile Factory, located roughly 2km west of built-up areas of West Mosul. Elements of the 37th Iraqi Army Brigade supported by Iraqi aircraft reportedly seized the Tile Factory and surrounding areas amongst relatively moderate resistance on 19 March. These events form the first new significant offensive operations conducted by 9th Iraqi Army Armored Division units since the completion of efforts to seize the Badush sub-district, and are important to supporting the flanks of adjacent forces on the Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) axis in West Mosul. Federal Police and Emergency Response (ERD) units reportedly achieved some moderate advances in previously contested areas of the Old City, and renewed advances north of the Mosul Train Station aimed at relieving some pressure facing counterparts. IS maintained pressure with multiple counterattacks. Both IS and security sources predictably claimed heavy casualties amongst their opposition’s ranks. Coalition forces continue to be accused of unnecessarily increasing the risk of civilian casualties through less restrictive rules of engagement for airstrikes and artillery fire in West Mosul compared to previous phases of the campaign. Accounts from some local medical sources indicate over 750 civilians may have been killed from these supporting arms since operations in West Mosul began. This compares to an estimated 1,600 civilian casualties (killed and wounded) during the first 100 days of the Mosul Campaign. The US Department of Defense continues to deny responsibility for such numbers. UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq Lise Grande stated between 300,000-320,000 civilians may flee or be evacuated in coming weeks. On the evening of 18 March, unidentified gunmen shot and killed a currency exchange company employee in the Erbil Bazaar near the Nishtiman Bus Station. No thefts were reported with this incident, with a personal dispute forming the most likely motivation. Preparations for Nawruz celebrations continue to be noted, while some celebrations have already begun in Kirkuk’s Shivesur area. As previously discussed, in accordance with these commemorations, government office hours may be substantially reduced for a lengthy period between 17-26 March, with international organizations advised to be aware of these conditions. On the evening of 18 March, security forces and Baiji Tribal Fighters repelled a large scale IS assault along the Siniyah – Haditha Road. Dozens of insurgents were reportedly killed, along with two tribal fighters. Central: Activity in western Anbar was largely limited to a single Coalition strike near Haditha that suppressed an IS tactical unit. On 18 March, Anbar Operations Command elements conducted search and clearance operations in Rutbah, areas of Ramadi, and Amiriyat al-Fallujah. Security forces arrested seven suspicious individuals, and discovered 22 IEDs, four Katyusha rockets, an explosive vest, three rockets launching pads, and other items. It is unlikely most of these assets were intended for near- term employment, and it remains to be seen if any of the arrested individuals will remain incarcerated following initial questioning. Nevertheless, these and other operations underline enduring priorities on security forces remaining proactive in eastern Anbar in order to counter IS-related threats. CONFIDENTIAL – FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY Page 2 of 5 Four IED detonations in and around Baghdad killed at least two individuals and wounded eight others. In the most notable of these incidents, an IED detonated against an Iraqi Army patrol traveling in an agricultural area west of Baghdad, with one soldier reportedly killed and two others wounded. This incident forms at least the fifth IED attack against Iraqi Army patrols in Baghdad thus far in March, with each event located in southern, western, and northern outskirts of the city. Security forces arrested a fugitive prisoner of Abu Ghraib Prison during an operation in Hayy al-Yarmuk, Mansour. This event follows multiple other recent arrest operations similarly targeting alleged fugitives from the Abu Ghraib Prison. Several other security operations during this period concentrated in the southern Baghdad Belts predictably resulted in a number of cache finds, but no affiliated arrests. South: On 19 March, security officials from the Rafidain Operations Command met with counterparts from Wasit, Muthanna, Dhi Qar and Maysan, in order to discuss plans for security in the lead up to September elections, as well as ongoing efforts to disarm civilians of heavy and medium weapons. By in large the conference discussed initial planning stages in advance of the elections, such as the need for intelligence-led operations and cooperation between security personnel. Additional authority for provincial police and daily communication regarding incidents was also highlighted along with the effective execution of arrest warrants. During the late evening hours of 18 March, a number of Engineering Department Basra University students conducted a demonstration near the Basra University Dean's office in Karma. Participants denounced a dispute which took place between a member of the teaching staff and a student, which escalated into an assault against the student by a university employee. Students called for prosecution of the offending staffer and measures to prevent such incidents from taking place in the future. In Nasiriyah on the morning of 19 March, private transport drivers demonstrated in front of the Dhi Qar Governorate building to demand a designated garage be allocated for local transport vehicles parking inside the city. The Nabi Ibrahim Investment Project was slated to build a parking garage for use by privately owned transport vehicles, but construction has yet to be completed, with a dispute between the Nasiriyah Municipality and Investment Authority over land ownership now leading to drivers being forced from their current parking area. On 19 March, a hand grenade was thrown towards the al-Dagara High School in Diwaniyah, with a guard at the location wounded as a result. Diwaniyah Education Directorate Manger Akil al-Joburi stated that security forces arrested a suspect who confessed that the attack was motivated by a dispute between himself and the school’s administration. As is the case for medical and legal staff, incidents of violence against teachers and teaching institutions often results from personal grievances, with parents who believe their children are being unfairly treated periodically taking out their frustrations. International: Commentary on the Draft Law on Anti-Domestic Violence in Iraq – HRW CONFIDENTIAL – FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY Page 3 of 5 Domestic violence remains a serious problem in Iraq. The Iraq Family Health Survey (IFHS) 2006/7 found that one in five Iraqi women are subject to physical domestic violence. A 2012 Ministry of Planning study found that at least 36 percent of married women reported experiencing some form of psychological abuse from their husbands, 23 percent to verbal abuse, 6 percent to physical violence, and 9 percent to sexual violence. Turkish mayor calls for self-rule, demand denied to Kurds – K24 The Mayor of Turkey's largest city Istanbul demanded more authorities for his office from the central government on Thursday, a call that has led to the incarceration of hundreds of elected Kurdish officials. Mayor Kadir Topbas of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) said he needed a "more flexible" state apparatus to run affairs of Istanbul in whose metropolitan area about 15 million people live. Syrian forces and rebels fight fierce clashes in northeast Damascus – Reuters Syrian rebels launched a major offensive on Sunday that brought them close to the heart of the Old City of Damascus, and government forces responded with intense bombardments of rebel-held areas. The escalation, reported by witnesses, state TV, rebel sources, and a monitoring group, marked a bid by the rebels to relieve army pressure on besieged areas they control to the east of the capital. Israel threatens to destroy Syria's air defence systems 'without the slightest hesitation' – Independent Israel's defence minister has threatened to destroy Syria's air defence systems if they are used to target Israeli fighter jets again. The Israeli military said it shot down one of several anti-aircraft rockets fired at its warplanes by Syria last week in the most serious military exchange between the two hostile neighbours in recent years. HRW calls on Kurdish administrations in Syria, Iraq to release political prisoners – AMN The Human Rights Watch (HRW) in a statement to ARA News called on both the Kurdish PYD-led and KDP-led administrations in Iraq and Syria to release prisoners that were arrested after clashes between Kurdish forces in Sinjar on 3 March. “We are concerned about the apparent arbitrary arrests in both Syria and the KRG [Iraqi Kurdistan] related to the Sinjar clashes,” Lama Fakih, deputy director in Human Rights Watch’s Middle East
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