Download the COI Focus
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER GENERAL FOR REFUGEES AND STATELESS PERSONS PERSONS COI Focus IRAQ Security Situation in Central and Southern Iraq 20 March 2020 (update) Cedoca Original language: Dutch DISCLAIMER: This COI-product has been written by Cedoca, the Documentation and Research Department of the CGRS, and it provides information for the processing of applications for international protection. The document does not contain policy guidelines or opinions and does not pass judgment on the merits of the application for international protection. It follows the Common EU Guidelines for processing country of origin information (April 2008) and is written in accordance with the statutory legal provisions. The author has based the text on a wide range of public information selected with care and with a permanent concern for crosschecking sources. Even though the document tries to cover all the relevant aspects of the subject, the text is not necessarily exhaustive. If certain events, people or organizations are not mentioned, this does not mean that they did not exist. All the sources used are briefly mentioned in a footnote and described in detail in a bibliography at the end of the document. Sources which have been consulted but which were not used are listed as consulted sources. In exceptional cases, sources are not mentioned by name. When specific information from this document is used, the user is asked to quote the source mentioned in the bibliography. This document can only be published or distributed with the written consent of the Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons. TO A MORE INTEGRATED MIGRATION POLICY, THANKS TO AMIF Rue Ernest Blerot 39, 1070 BRUSSELS T 02 205 51 11 F 02 205 50 01 [email protected] www.cgrs.be IRAQ. Security Situation in Central and Southern Iraq 20 March 2020 Contents List of abbreviations used .................................................................................................. 4 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 6 1. Brief history ................................................................................................................... 8 2. Current state of the conflict............................................................................................ 9 3. Warring factions ........................................................................................................... 14 4. Typology of violence ..................................................................................................... 14 4.1. ISIS .......................................................................................................................... 14 4.2. PMF .......................................................................................................................... 15 4.3. Other conflicts ............................................................................................................ 17 4.4. Explosives (IED, VBIED, SVBIED, SVEST) ...................................................................... 17 4.5. Other forms of violence used by ISIS ............................................................................ 19 4.6. Air strikes .................................................................................................................. 20 4.7. Missile attacks ............................................................................................................ 20 4.8. Violence against demonstrators and by demonstrators .................................................... 21 5. Targets of the violence ................................................................................................. 23 5.1. Iraq Body Count (IBC) ................................................................................................. 23 5.2. UNAMI ....................................................................................................................... 23 5.3. ACLED ....................................................................................................................... 24 5.4. Musings on Iraq .......................................................................................................... 26 5.5. Comparison of the number of fatalities, IBC, Musings on Iraq, ACLED ............................... 27 5.6. Victims due to the demonstrations ................................................................................ 28 6. Geographical distribution ............................................................................................. 31 6.1. Anbar ........................................................................................................................ 31 6.1.1. General situation ................................................................................................... 31 6.1.2. Security incidents .................................................................................................. 32 6.2. Baghdad .................................................................................................................... 37 6.2.1. General situation ................................................................................................... 37 6.2.2. Security incidents .................................................................................................. 38 6.3. Diyala ....................................................................................................................... 44 6.3.1. Territorial control ................................................................................................... 44 6.3.2. General situation ................................................................................................... 46 6.3.3. Security incidents .................................................................................................. 47 6.4. Kirkuk ....................................................................................................................... 59 6.4.1. Territorial control ................................................................................................... 59 6.4.2. General situation ................................................................................................... 62 6.4.3. Security incidents .................................................................................................. 63 6.5. Ninewa ...................................................................................................................... 71 6.5.1. Territorial control ................................................................................................... 71 6.5.2. General situation ................................................................................................... 74 6.5.3. Security incidents .................................................................................................. 75 6.6. Salah al-Din ............................................................................................................... 82 6.6.1. General situation ................................................................................................... 82 6.6.2. Security incidents .................................................................................................. 83 6.7. Southern Provinces ..................................................................................................... 88 6.7.1. General situation ................................................................................................... 88 6.7.2. Protest demonstrations .......................................................................................... 89 6.7.3. Security incidents .................................................................................................. 94 7. Displacement of the population .................................................................................. 100 7.1. Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and returnees ........................................................ 100 7.2. Rate of return .......................................................................................................... 101 Page 2 of 125 CG – 825 N IRAQ. Security Situation in Central and Southern Iraq 20 March 2020 7.3. Obstacles to return ................................................................................................... 103 7.4. Forced return in 2019 ................................................................................................ 106 7.5. UNHCR advice .......................................................................................................... 106 Summary ........................................................................................................................ 108 Bibliography ................................................................................................................... 110 Page 3 of 125 CG – 825 N IRAQ. Security Situation in Central and Southern Iraq 20 March 2020 List of abbreviations used ACLED Armed Conflict Location & Event Data AP Associated Press AQI Al-Qaeda in Iraq BBC British Broadcasting Corporation CJTF-OIR Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve CRS Congressional Research Service CSIS Center for Strategic and International Studies DIA Defense Intelligence Agency EPIC Education for Peace in Iraq Center ERW Explosive Remains of War HRW Human Rights Watch IBC Iraq Body Count IHCHR Iraqi High Commission