List of bombings during the Iraq War
Since 2003 bombings in Iraq have killed thousands of people, mostly Iraqi civilians, and are considered to constitute a new phenomenon in the history of warfare. Suicide bombings have been used as a tactic in other armed struggles, but their frequency and lethality in Iraq is unprecedented.[1] This list does not include any airstrikes that occurred during the Iraq War.
Perpetrators
A 2005 Human Rights Watch report analysed the insurgency in Iraq and highlighted, "The groups that are most responsible for the abuse, namely al-Qaeda in Iraq and its allies, Ansar al-Sunna and the Islamic State of Iraq, have all targeted civilians for abductions and executions. The first two groups have repeatedly boasted about massive car bombs and suicide bombs in mosques, markets, bus stations and other civilian areas. Such acts are war crimes and in some cases may constitute crimes against humanity, which are defined as serious crimes committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population."[2]
Analysis
A 2008 RAND Research brief on counter insurgency in Iraq: 2003 - 2006[3] depicts a chart that shows in June and July 2004, Iraqi insurgents began to shift their focus away from attacking U.S. and coalition forces with roadside bombs and instead began targeting the Iraqi population with suicide bombers and vehicle-borne IEDs. By increasing the number of suicide bombings against civilians and accepting their targeting in retribution, the insurgents sought to expose the weakness of the coalition-Iraqi security and reconstruction apparatus, threaten those who collaborated with the government, generate funds and propaganda, and increasingly enact sectarian revenge. The U.S. failure to adapt to this shift had dramatic consequences. By June 2004, U.S. deaths represented less than 10% of overall deaths on the battlefield and Iraqi deaths represented more than 90% - a figure that remained constant for the next 18 months of the War.
An analysis by Iraq Body Count and co-authors published in 2011 concluded that at least 12,284 civilians were killed in at least 1,003 suicide bombings in Iraq between 2003 and 2010. The study reveals that suicide bombings kill 60 times as many civilians as soldiers [4][5]
Bombings
This article lists all major bombings of the Second Iraq War. For bombings that occurred following the withdrawal of US troops see List of bombings during the Iraqi Insurgency (2011-present)
2003
- 2003 Jordanian embassy bombing in Baghdad
- Canal Hotel bombing
- Imam Ali mosque bombing
- 2003 Baghdad bombings
- 2003 Nasiriyah bombing
- 2003 Karbala bombings
2004
- 2004 Erbil bombings
- 2004 Ashura bombings in Iraq
- 21 April 2004 Basra bombings
- 2004 Mosul bombings
- 14 September 2004 Baghdad bombing
- 30 September 2004 Baghdad bombing
- 2004 Karbala and Najaf bombings
- 2004 Baqubah bombing
- 2004 Kufa shelling
- 2004 Forward Operating Base Marez bombing
2005
- 2005 Al Hillah bombing
- 2005 Musayyib bombing
- 17 August 2005 Baghdad bombings
- 14 September 2005 Baghdad bombings
- 2005 Khanaqin bombings
2006
- 5 January 2006 Iraq bombings[6]
- 2006 al-Askari mosque bombing
- 7 April Buratha mosque bombing
- 1 July 2006 Sadr City bombing
- 23 November 2006 Sadr City bombings
2007
- Mustansiriya University bombings
- 22 January 2007 Baghdad bombings
- 3 February 2007 Baghdad market bombing
- 12 February 2007 Baghdad bombings
- 18 February 2007 Baghdad bombings
- 2007 Al Hillah bombings
- 2007 Tal Afar bombings and massacre
- 29 March 2007 Baghdad bombings
- 2007 Iraqi Parliament bombing
- 2007 Karbala bombings
- 18 April 2007 Baghdad bombings
- 2007 Makhmour bombing
- 2007 al-Askari mosque bombing
- 2007 Amirli bombing
- 2007 Kirkuk bombings
- 26 July 2007 Baghdad market bombing
- 1 August 2007 Baghdad bombings
- 2007 Yazidi communities bombings
- 2007 Al Amarah bombings[7]
2008
- 1 February 2008 Baghdad bombings
- 2008 Balad bombing
- 6 March 2008 Baghdad bombing
- 2008 Karbala bombing
- 17 June 2008 Baghdad bombing
- 2008 Baquba bombings
- 2008 Dujail bombing
- Abdullah restaurant bombing[8]
2009
- 2009 Baghdad police recruitment centre bombing
- 2009 Baghdad bombings
- 23 April 2009 Iraqi suicide attacks
- 2009 Taza bombing
- June 2009 Baghdad bombing
- 2009 Kirkuk bombing
- 2009 Tal Afar bombing
- August 2009 Baghdad bombings
- October 2009 Baghdad bombings
- December 2009 Baghdad bombings
2010
- 25 January 2010 Baghdad bombings
- 1 February 2010 Baghdad bombing[9]
- 2010 Baqubah bombings
- April 2010 Baghdad bombings
- 10 May 2010 Iraq attacks
- July 2010 Baghdad attacks
- 17 August 2010 Baghdad bombings
- 25 August 2010 Iraq bombings
- 19 September 2010 Baghdad bombings
- 2010 Baghdad church massacre
- 2 November 2010 Baghdad bombings
2011
- January 2011 Baghdad shootings
- January 2011 Iraq suicide attacks
- 24 January 2011 Iraq bombings
- 27 January 2011 Baghdad bombing
- 2011 Tikrit assault
- 2011 Al Hillah bombing
- 2011 Samarra bombing
- 2011 Al Diwaniyah bombing
- 2011 Taji bombings
- 15 August 2011 Iraq attacks
- 28 August 2011 Baghdad bombing
- 2011 Karbala bombing
- October 2011 Baghdad bombings
- 2011 Basra bombings
References
- ↑ Williams, Carol J. (June 2, 2005). "Suicide attacks soaring in Iraq". Post-gazette.com. Retrieved January 31, 2009.
- ↑ "Iraq: Insurgent Groups Responsible for War Crimes". Human Rights News. October 3, 2005. Retrieved August 29, 2006.
- ↑ "Counterinsurgency in Iraq (2003-2006)". Retrieved 27 June 2015.
- ↑ "Casualties of suicide bombings in Iraq, 2003-2010". iraqbodycount.org. September 3, 2011. Retrieved March 20, 2012.
- ↑ "Casualties in civilians and coalition soldiers from suicide bombings in Iraq, 2003—10: a descriptive study". The Lancet. September 3, 2011. Retrieved March 20, 2012.
- ↑ "Iraq suicide bomb blasts kill 120". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
- ↑ Raghavan, Sudarsan (13 December 2007). "Car bombs kill at least 46, injure 149 in southern Iraq". Boston.com. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
- ↑ "Scores die in Iraq suicide blast". english.aljazeera.net. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
- ↑ "Deadly blast hits Iraq pilgrims". english.aljazeera.net. Retrieved 6 June 2017.