Iraq Situation Report: July 2, 2014

The clashes between the Iraqi Security Forces and the followers of Iraqi Shi’a religious �gure Mahmoud al-Sarkhi represent another challenge for the ISF. ISIS’s campaign to target civilians in areas where it has control is likely to back�re, particularly if the group attempts to force people to pledge allegiance to its newly-declared Islamic State. ISIS systematically documented a mass “repentance” in Mosul. Similar, systematic “repentance ceremonies” of former ISF members elsewhere will help indicate the extent of ISIS's in�uence. Groups such as JRTN and local tribes may see this behavior as an opportunity to weaken ISIS. Nonetheless, ISIS remains the strongest insurgent group and continues to be able to impose its will on the population through the use of force.

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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

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

ISF and MilitiasISIS

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-lean-ing 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

IPx

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IPx

7

Udhaim

ISF and MilitiasISISJRTN

ISF

Major Cities

Major Clash

ISF Movement Projected ISF Movement Iraqi Police BrigadeAirlifted Reinforcements Jabat al-Nusra and the Islamic Front

IPx

7

ISF and MilitiasISISPeshmerga

ISF Major Cities

Major Clash

VBIED

Execution

Tal Afar

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-govern-ment 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 and MilitiasISISJRTN

ISF

Major Cities

Major Clash

Airlifted Reinforcements Vx

Volunteer Brigade

Vx

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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IP

IA

T

ISF and MilitiasISIS

Major Cities

Major ClashISF

Unknown Gunmen

Kidnapping

Supplies seized

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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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V

V

V

ISF and MilitiasISIS

Major Cities

Major Clash

ISF

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 and MilitiasISISJRTN

ISF

Major Cities

Major Clash

SVBIED

ISF Reinforcements

Military Parade

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

Major Cities

Major Clash

KidnappingExecution

SVBIEDAnti-ISIS Iraqi Sunni TribesSyrian Government Forces

Airstrikes

Peshmerga

ISF Reinforcements

Tal Afar

ISIS

ISF Major Cities

Major Clash

PeshmergaISF Reinforcements

ISF and Militias

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.

ISISISF Major Cities

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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ISIS

ISF Major Cities

Major Clash

Anti-ISIS TribesJRTN

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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ISIS

ISF Major Cities

Major Clash

Unknown Gunmen

ISF and Militias

Raid

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1

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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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ISISISF Major Cities

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.

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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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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

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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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ISISISF

Followers of al-SarkhiUnknown gunmen

Major Cities

Major Clash

AirstrikesExecution

Kidnapping

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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 members of the government security apparatus in Mosul.

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