Key Takeaways:

• Parliament Approves IQD25 Trillion “Food Security” Bill; Sadr Tells His Lawmakers To Prepare Resignations – On June 8, Iraq’s Parliament voted to approve the “Emergency Support for Food Security and Development” bill during a session that was attended by 273 lawmakers. The passage of the contentious bill, which authorizes more than $17 billion in spending, followed news on Wednesday that Sadr and his rivals in the Coordination Framework were able to reach some sort of compromise on the bill’s terms. On June 9, Muqtada al-Sadr made a televised speech in which he instructed the members of his bloc in Parliament to “write their resignations…in preparation to submit them…in the coming days.” In his brief message, Sadr reaffirmed his opposition to forming a consensus government, insisting that his followers must either form a majority government, or become an opposition power. In other developments, on June 6, the foreign ministers of Egypt and Jordan visited Baghdad for meetings with PM Kadhimi that focused on security cooperation and completing a power grid connection to supply Iraqi with electricity next year. On June 7, the KDP and PUK issued a joint statement in which they said they agreed to “initiate legal preparations” to write a much-delayed constitution for the Kurdistan region. more…
• KRG Accuses Kataib Hezbollah Of Launching Armed Drone Attack On Erbil; Iraq Builds Security Barrier On The Border With Iran – On June 8, the counter-terrorism service of the Kurdistan region said that an armed drone carrying explosives impacted on the road between Erbil and the Pirmam subdistrict, injuring three civilians and damaging a building and several civilian vehicles. The region’s security council accused the Kataib Hezbollah militia of launching the drone, saying it originated from Altun Kupri between Erbil and Kirkuk. On June 7, Iraq’s Joint Operations Command said that Iraq was building an extensive earthen berm on the border with Iran to improve border security and prevent the smuggling of illegal drugs and other goods across the border. The barrier will be supported by surveillance cameras and security posts, and extend for 100 kilometers along the Howeizah marsh east of Basra. In other developments, between June 4 – 8, the explosions of four IEDs and one remnant of war in Diyala, Salah ad-Din, Ninewa, Erbil, and Basra, wounded eight Iraqis and one member of an Iranian Kurdish dissident group. more…
• Humanitarian Response Plan Faces Severe Funding Shortage – On June 5, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported a serious funding gap affecting the 2022 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP). OCHA said that donors have provided $62 million in funding through the month of May, which represents just over 15% of the $400 million needed to fully implement the 2022 HRP. In other developments, on June 6, Iraq’s Ministry of Health said the number of confirmed hemorrhagic fever cases recorded in the country increased to 142, and that fatalities from the diseases increased to 24. On June 9, Iraq’s Health Ministry said the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 2,329,313, an increase of 944 from the 2,328,369 reported on June 2. Hospitalizations increased from 1,010 to 1,237, and the daily average for new cases increased to 135/day during the last 7-day period. The number of people who received the COVID-19 vaccine reached 10,740,527 including 11,378 who received their shots on June 9. more…
• Baghdad Sues Oil Companies In Kurdistan; Iraq To Boost Oil Output In July; Deputy Speaker Zamili Threatens To Ban Turkish, Iranian Goods Over Water Dispute – On June 2, Iraq Oil Report wrote that oil companies operating in the Kurdistan region were summoned “to appear at the Commercial Court in Baghdad on June 5.” The summons are part of a legal effort by the federal Ministry of Oil to take control of Kurdistan’s oil operations and implement the February 15 Federal Supreme Court ruling invalidating the KRG Oil and Gas Law. Meanwhile, the Kurdistan region’s judiciary council issued a statement rejecting the February 15 ruling. It argued that the KRG oil operations were “in accordance with the Iraqi constitution,” since they involved fields that were developed after the 2005 constitutional referendum. On June 3, Iraq’s Oil Ministry said it will increase crude oil production by 71,000 bpd in July in accordance with ased on output ceiling adjustments agreed upon by OPEC+. On June 9, deputy speaker of Parliament Hakim al-Zamili said that Parliament could push legislation to boycott Iranian and Turkish goods if the two neighbors continued to reduce water flow to Iraq from shared rivers. In other developments, on June 8, the Iraqi government extended an exemption from import license requirements for foodstuffs, medicine, and other consumer goods, until October 1, 2022 to mitigate supply chain disruptions and shortages caused by the Russian war in Ukraine. On June 9, Iraq’s Integrity Commission said its investigations uncovered “embezzlement, fraud, and money laundering” that led to the loss of more than IQD 926 billion from two state-owned banks. more…

For more background on most of the institutions, key actors, political parties, and locations mentioned in our takeaways or in the stories that follow, see the ISHM Reference Guide.

Parliament Approves IQD25 Trillion “Food Security” Bill; Sadr Tells His Lawmakers To Prepare Resignations

On June 6, the foreign ministers of Egypt and Jordan visited Baghdad and met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi and their Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein. According to a statement by Kadhimi’s office, the trilateral meeting discussed intelligence sharing and security cooperation to confront terrorist threats, and creating a stable environment for economic activity and sustainable development. In subsequent statements, Fuad Hussein said he also discussed with the visiting ministers the effects of the Russian war in Ukraine on the region. For his part, Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Samih Shukri, said a project to connect the power grids of the three countries was in “advanced stages,” while Jordan’s Foreign Minister, Ayman al-Safadi, mentioned that his country could begin to supply electricity to Iraq as soon as “early next year.”  

On June 6, the local government in Dhi-Qar province said that governor Mohammed al-Ghazi obtained approvals from the prime minister and supreme judicial council for the transfer of legal cases against local protesters from anti-terror agencies to the local police departments. The transfer, which could lead to less harsh penalties for those convicted, affects 280 cases in which Dhi-Qar protesters were being prosecuted under anti-terror laws. 

On June 7, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) issued a joint statement in which they said they agreed to “initiate legal preparations” to write a constitution for the Kurdistan region. In 2009, the Kurdish parties had prepared a draft of the region’s constitution but did not proceed to hold a referendum on the document due to lingering disagreements over the text. The parties issued the joint statement after a meeting between their respective electoral bodies to discuss the region’s next general election, currently scheduled for October 2022.   

On June 8, Iraq’s Parliament voted to approve the “Emergency Support for Food Security and Development” bill during a session that was attended by 273 lawmakers. The bill was a major source of tension between Muqtada al-Sadr and his allies on the one hand, who supported the bill, and his rivals in the Coordination Framework (CF) on the other hand, who had expressed strong objections. The passage of the bill, which authorizes IQD25 trillion in spending, followed news on Wednesday that Sadr and CF were able to reach some sort of compromise on the bill’s terms. According to a copy of the bill published on Wednesday, the bulk of the IQD 25 trillion is divided as follows:

• IQD 6 trillion for the Trade Ministry to purchase wheat and other staples for the food ration program and pay arrears to farmers
• IQD 4 trillion for the Electricity Ministry to settle debt in connection with energy imports
• IQD 8 trillion for the development of provinces other than the Kurdistan region 
• IQD 1 trillion for social security
• IQD 1 trillion to pay stipends for part time teachers and contractors and recent top of their class graduates 
• IQD 1 trillion for oil producing or refining provinces
• IQD 1.05 trillion in additional funding for provinces “impacted by terrorism” and the provinces of Maysan, Dhi-Qar, Salah ad-Din, Wasit, Babylon, and Muthanna
• IQD 0.9 trillion for the Ministry of Agriculture to subsidize seeds, fertilizers, and irrigation systems 

On June 9, Muqtada al-Sadr made a televised speech in which he instructed the members of his bloc in Parliament to “write their resignations…in preparation to submit them, after they receive instructions, in the coming days.” In his brief message, Sadr reaffirmed his opposition to forming a consensus government, insisting that his followers must either form a majority government, or become an opposition power.

KRG Accuses Kataib Hezbollah Of Launching Armed Drone Attack On Erbil; Iraq Builds Security Barrier On The Border With Iran

On June 3, the Turkish Ministry of Defense said that its forces killed five PKK militants in operations targeting the group’s presence in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. Another PKK member was killed on the same day during a Turkish intelligence operation near the city of Sulaymaniyah. On the following day, Turkey said its force killed six more PKK members during operations in the Kurdistan region.

On June 3, the Security Media Cell reported that Iraqi F-16 jets bombed a truck transporting four suspected ISIS members in the Wadi al-Qathf region of Anbar province, killing them all. The Iraqi jets conducted seven additional strikes on the same day against a series of tunnels in the Qara Chogh mountains, southeast of Mosul. There were no details of ISIS losses from these strikes as of reporting. A few days later, on June 7, Iraq’s counter-terrorism service troops killed another ISIS militant and recovered large amounts of weapons and explosives in an operation that targeted tunnels used by the militants to store supplies in the same area. The following day, the Security Media Cell said that another airstrike by F-16s targeted a “very dangerous” ISIS cell in a desert area outside Rutba, in western Anbar. The airstrike killed one militant, while counter-terrorism troops captured several others as they fled the scene. 

On June 4, security sources in Diyala province said that a roadside improvised explosive device (IED) struck a civilian vehicle in the al-Abbara subdistrict, northeast of Baquba, injuring its seven passengers, who were all from the same family. The sources added that sniper fire subsequently targeted first responders who arrived at the scene, injuring two more people. 

On June 3, security sources in Basra province said that a person was killed and another was injured when a grenade they had tossed in an attempted attack on the residence of a member of the security forces bounced back and exploded next to them. 

On June 3, security sources in Anbar province said that clashes between army troops and armed members of the Jaghayfa tribe killed two soldiers and injured two members of the tribe. According to the sources, the clashes in the town of Hit erupted after an army soldier damaged a vehicle belonging to a member of the tribe in question that was parked illegally.   

On June 5, security sources in Ninewa province said that the explosion of a remnant of war seriously injured a ten year old child who was herding animals near the Shoura subdistrict, south of Mosul. 

On June 5, security sources in Salah ad-Din province said that an IED explosion targeted a convoy transporting supplies for the International Coalition forces on a main highway in the province. There were no reports of casualties. 

On June 4, Ninewa police said that unidentified gunmen opened fire from an unmarked moving vehicle at a civilian in the Tal Afar district, west of Mosul, killing him instantly.  

On June 6, security sources in Diyala province said that ISIS militants attacked a police checkpoint east of the Hibhib subdistrict, northwest of Baquba. The attack, which involved small arms and sniper fire, destroyed a thermal surveillance camera without leaving casualties. 

On June 6, the counter-terrorism service of the Kurdistan region said that a “sticky” IED exploded under a vehicle parked near the Erbil office of “Iranian Kurdistan Struggle,” a dissident Iranian Kurdish group. The explosion, which occurred in the Setaqan neighborhood of Erbil, injured one person, identified as Akbar Safar Almas of “east Kurdistan.”

On June 7, Iraq’s Joint Operations Command (JOC) said that Iraq was building an extensive earthen berm on the border with Iran to improve border security and prevent the smuggling of illegal drugs and other goods across the border. The planned barrier will extend for 100 kilometers along the Howeizah marsh east of Basra. Basra governor As’ad al-Idani, said after a meeting with JOC deputy chief, lieutenant general Abdul-Amir al-Shammari, that the berm would be supported by security posts and thermal surveillance cameras. 

On June 8, security sources in Basra said that an IED explosion targeted the home of a lawyer in the al-Jazair neighborhood of central Basra, damaging the targeted individual’s vehicle without causing casualties. The sources added that the IED was planted by two individuals who arrived on motorcycle, citing surveillance footage from the scene. 

On June 8, the counter-terrorism service of the Kurdistan region said that an armed drone carrying explosives impacted on the road between Erbil and the Salah ad-Din resort in the Pirmam subdistrict. The explosion injured three civilians and damaged a building and several civilian vehicles in the area. On the following day, the Kurdistan region’s security council accused the Kataib Hezbollah militia of launching the drone, which it said came from the Altun Kupri area, on the border between Erbil and Kirkuk. 

Humanitarian Response Plan Faces Severe Funding Shortage

On June 5, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported a serious funding gap affecting the 2022 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP). OCHA said that donors have provided $62 million in funding through the month of May, which represents just over 15% of the $400 million needed to fully implement the 2022 HRP. The 2022 HRP had identified a population of 2.5 million who need assistance, of whom 961,000 are considered to be in acute need reaching “extreme or catastrophic levels.” The HRP aims to help 996,000 people from this population. These include 180,000 IDPs living in camps, 234,000 IDPs staying in places other than camps, and 577,000 returnees “with life-saving and life-sustaining assistance to meet their most critical humanitarian needs.” 

On June 6, a spokesman for Iraq’s Ministry of Health said the number of confirmed hemorrhagic fever cases recorded in the country since the beginning of the recent outbreak had increased to 142. According to the official, 24 of those infected died as a result of the disease. 

On June 9, the Iraqi Ministry of Health reported the total number of COVID-19 infections reached 2,329,313, an increase of 944 in cases from the 2,328,369 reported on June 2. Of these cases, 1,237 are currently under treatment, including 12 treated in ICUs. These numbers represent an increase of 227 in hospitalizations and four in ICU admissions since June 2. Ministry data indicated that there were two new COVID-19 deaths since June 2, bringing the total to 25,221. The average number of new cases during the last 7-day period increased to 135 per day from 100 per day during the 7-day period ending June 2. In the past 24 hours, the areas with the highest case counts were Baghdad with 101 cases, Erbil and Basra with 16 cases each, and Karbala with 14 cases. To date, Iraq has tested a total of 18,631,073 samples for COVID-19. The number of people who received the COVID-19 vaccine reached 10,740,527 including 11,378 who received their shots on June 9.

Baghdad Sues Oil Companies In Kurdistan; Iraq To Boost Oil Output In July; Deputy Speaker Zamili Threatens To Ban Turkish, Iranian Goods Over Water Dispute

On June 2, Iraq Oil Report wrote that a number of oil companies operating in the Kurdistan region were summoned “to appear at the Commercial Court in Baghdad on June 5.” The summons are reportedly part of a legal effort by the federal Ministry of Oil to take control of Kurdistan’s oil operations and implement the February 15 ruling by Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court to invalidate the Oil and Gas Law adopted by the KRG in 2007. The June 5 hearing was postponed because the companies in question failed to send representatives. 

On June 3, Iraq’s Ministry of Oil said the country will increase crude oil production by 71,000 barrels per day (bpd) in July in accordance with output ceiling adjustments agreed upon by OPEC+. According to the Ministry, the increase would bring Iraq’s total production to 4.58 million bpd. 

On June 4, the Kurdistan region’s judiciary council issued a statement rejecting the February 15 ruling by Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court, in which the latter said the Oil and Gas Law adopted by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in 2007 was invalid for violating articles 110, 111, 112, 115, 121, and 130 of Iraq’s constitution. In its statement, the regional judicial body defended the KRG oil policy and operations, saying they were “in accordance with the Iraqi constitution,” and asserting that the regional legislation shall remain in effect. The statement argued that the constitution did not list oil exploration, production, and export among the exclusive powers of the federal government, adding that article 112 of the constitution applied only to oil fields that were operational before the constitutional referendum of 2005. The statement concluded that “oil and gas operations [in the region’s territory] after that date became an exclusive power of the region.”  Meanwhile, on June 5, Nas News reported that an unnamed lawmaker from the State of Law coalition had filed a case with the Federal Supreme Court demanding the dissolution of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) for refusing to accept the Court’s ruling concerning Kurdistan’s oil operations. 

On June 8, the Iraqi government decided to extend an exemption from import license requirements for foodstuffs, medicine, and other consumer goods, until October 1, 2022. The initial exemption, which expired June 8, was meant to facilitate the arrival of necessary goods amid supply chain disruptions and shortages caused by the Russian war in Ukraine. Health inspections and other standard quality control procedures would continue to apply to imports during the suspension, according to the government statement. 

On June 9, deputy speaker of Parliament Hakim al-Zamili said that Iraq’s lawmakers could push legislation to boycott Iranian and Turkish goods if the two neighbors continued to reduce water flow to Iraq from shared rivers. Speaking from Iraq’s Water Resources Ministry, Zamili said that cutting the water “kills the people just like Israel has been killing us with weapons.”

On June 9, Iraq’s Integrity Commission said its investigations uncovered “embezzlement, fraud, and money laundering” that led to the loss of more than IQD 926 billion from five branches of the state-owned Agricultural and Rashid banks in Baghdad and Maysan. According to a statement by the Commission, 41 bank officials and customers had been colluding in operations to inflate certain accounts with fake deposits then make withdrawals from those accounts. The Commission accused bank management of covering up the fraud by manipulating balance sheets and certifying fraudulent data. 

IED Incidents and Resulting Casualties

Casualties Due To IEDs from June 2, 2022 - June 9, 2022

Please note: some geographic locations represented are approximations and this map may not represent all incidents.

Derived from firsthand accounts and Iraq-based Arabic and Kurdish news sources, the Iraq Security and Humanitarian Monitor is a free publication of the Enabling Peace in Iraq Center.

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