Since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, bombings have killed thousands, including forces of U.S-led coalition, officials of Iraqi federal government and civilians. Suicide bombings have been used as a tactic in other armed struggles, but their frequency and lethality in Iraq is unprecedented.[1] During the invasion, the United States and United Kingdom dropped 29,199 bombs.[2] The article does not list these, but concentrates on the smaller number of insurgent bombings during the post-invasion phase of the Iraqi conflict (2003–present).

Most of the bombings were carried out by Sunni insurgents and Sunni Islamist organizations such as Jama'at al-Tawhid wal Jihad, Al-Qaeda in Iraq, Jama'at Ansar al-Sunna, and the Islamic State of Iraq. The main targets of the bombings were the forces of the U.S.-led coalition and those collaborating with it. The Islamic State of Iraq organization also targeted Shia civilians.

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."[3]

Analysis

A 2008 RAND Research brief on counterinsurgency in Iraq: 2003 - 2006[4] 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 [5][6]

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)

DateCityAttackDeathsPerpetrator(s)Source
7 August 2003 Iraq Baghdad 2003 Jordanian embassy bombing in Baghdad 17 Unknown [7]
19 August 2003 Iraq Baghdad Canal Hotel bombing 23 Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad [8]
29 August 2003 Iraq Najaf Imam Ali Mosque bombing 95 Unknown [9]
27 October 2003 Iraq Baghdad 27 October 2003 Baghdad bombings 34 Unknown [10]
12 November 2003 Iraq Nasiriyah 2003 Nasiriyah bombing 28 Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad [11]
27 December 2003 Iraq Karbala 2003 Karbala bombings 19 Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad [12]
1 February 2004 Iraq Erbil 2004 Erbil bombings 114 Unknown [13]
2 March 2004 Iraq Karbala
Iraq Baghdad
2004 Ashura bombings in Iraq 158 Unknown [14]
21 April 2004 Iraq Basra 21 April 2004 Basra bombings 74 Unknown [15]
24 June 2004 Iraq Mosul 2004 Mosul bombings 62 Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad [16]
28 July 2004 Iraq Baqubah 2004 Baqubah bombing 68 Unknown [17]
26 August 2004 Iraq Kufa 2004 Kufa mosque bombing 74 Unknown [18]
14 September 2004 Iraq Baghdad 14 September 2004 Baghdad bombing 47 Unknown [19]
30 September 2004 Iraq Baghdad 30 September 2004 Baghdad bombing 41 Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad [20]
19 December 2004 Iraq Karbala
Iraq Najaf
2004 Karbala and Najaf bombings 66 Unknown [21]
21 December 2004 Iraq Mosul 2004 Forward Operating Base Marez bombing 22 Jamaat Ansar al-Sunna [22]
19 January 2005 Iraq Baghdad 19 January 2005 Baghdad bombings 26 Unknown [23]
28 February 2005 Iraq Hillah 2005 Al Hillah bombing 127 Raed Mansour Al-Banna [24]
16 July 2005 Iraq Baghdad 2005 Musayyib bombing 100 Unknown [25]
17 August 2005 Iraq Musayyib 17 August 2005 Baghdad bombings 43 Unknown [26]
18 November 2005 Iraq Khanaqin 2005 Khanaqin bombings 74 Unknown [27]
5 January 2006 Iraq Karbala
Iraq Ramadi
5 January 2006 Iraq bombings 140 Unknown [28]
22 February 2006 Iraq Samarra 2006 al-Askari mosque bombing 0 Unknown [29]
7 April 2006 Iraq Baghdad Buratha mosque bombing 85 Unknown [30]
1 July 2006 Iraq Baghdad 1 July 2006 Sadr City bombing 77 The Supporters of the Sunni People [31]
23 November 2006 Iraq Baghdad 23 November 2006 Sadr City bombings 215 Unknown [32]
16 January 2007 Iraq Baghdad Mustansiriya University bombings 70 Unknown [33]
22 January 2007 Iraq Baghdad 22 January 2007 Baghdad bombings 88 Unknown [34]
3 February 2007 Iraq Baghdad 3 February 2007 Baghdad market bombing 135 Unknown [35]
12 February 2007 Iraq Baghdad 12 February 2007 Baghdad bombings 76 Unknown [36]
18 February 2007 Iraq Baghdad 18 February 2007 Baghdad bombings 63 Unknown [37]
6 March 2007 Iraq Hillah 2007 Al Hillah bombings 200 Unknown [38]
27 March 2007 Iraq Tal Afar 2007 Tal Afar bombings and massacre 152 Unknown [39]
29 March 2007 Iraq Baghdad 29 March 2007 Baghdad bombings 82 Unknown [40]
12 April 2007 Iraq Baghdad 2007 Iraqi Parliament bombing 1 Islamic State of Iraq [41]
14 April 2007 Iraq Karbala 2007 Karbala mosque bombings 42 Unknown [42]
18 April 2007 Iraq Baghdad 18 April 2007 Baghdad bombings 198 Unknown [43]
28 April 2007 Iraq Karbala 2007 Karbala mosque bombings 68 Unknown [44]
13 May 2007 Iraq Makhmour 2007 Makhmour bombing 50 Unknown [45]
13 June 2007 Iraq Samarra 2007 al-Askari mosque bombing 0 Unknown [46]
7 July 2007 Iraq Amirli 2007 Amirli bombing 156 Unknown [47]
16 July 2007 Iraq Kirkuk 2007 Kirkuk bombings 86 Unknown [48]
26 July 2007 Iraq Baghdad 26 July 2007 Baghdad market bombing 92 Unknown [49]
1 August 2007 Iraq Baghdad 1 August 2007 Baghdad bombings 74 Unknown [50]
14 August 2007 Iraq Til Ezer
Iraq Siba Sheikh Khidir
Qahtaniyah bombings 796 Unknown [51]
13 December 2007 Iraq Amarah 2007 Al Amarah bombings 46 Unknown [52]
1 February 2008 Iraq Baghdad 1 February 2008 Baghdad bombings 98 Unknown [53]
10 February 2008 Iraq Balad 2008 Balad bombing 25 Unknown [54]
6 March 2008 Iraq Baghdad 6 March 2008 Baghdad bombing 68 Unknown [55]
17 March 2008 Iraq Karbala 2008 Karbala bombing 42 Unknown [56]
17 June 2008 Iraq Baghdad 17 June 2008 Baghdad bombing 51 Unknown [57]
15 July 2008 Iraq Baquba 2008 Baquba bombings 35 Islamic State of Iraq [58]
12 September 2008 Iraq Dujail 2008 Dujail bombing 31 Islamic State of Iraq [59]
11 December 2008 Iraq Dujail Abdullah restaurant bombing 55 Unknown [60]
8 March 2009 Iraq Baghdad 2009 Baghdad police recruitment centre bombing 28 Unknown [61]
6 April 2009 Iraq Baghdad 2009 Baghdad bombings 34 Unknown [62]
23 April 2009 Iraq Baghdad
Iraq Miqdadiyah
23 April 2009 Iraqi suicide attacks 76 Unknown [63]
20 June 2009 Iraq Taza 2009 Taza bombing 73 Unknown [64]
24 June 2009 Iraq Baghdad June 2009 Baghdad bombing 69 Unknown [65]
30 June 2009 Iraq Kirkuk 2009 Kirkuk bombing 40 Unknown [66]
9 July 2009 Iraq Tal Afar 2009 Tal Afar bombing 40 Unknown [67]
19 August 2009 Iraq Baghdad August 2009 Baghdad bombings 101 Islamic State of Iraq [68]
25 October 2009 Iraq Baghdad October 2009 Baghdad bombings 155 Islamic State of Iraq [69]
8 December 2009 Iraq Baghdad December 2009 Baghdad bombings 127 Islamic State of Iraq [70]
25 January 2010 Iraq Baghdad 25 January 2010 Baghdad bombings 41 Unknown [71]
1 February 2010 Iraq Baghdad 1 February 2010 Baghdad bombing 54 Unknown [72]
3 March 2010 Iraq Baghdad 2010 Baqubah bombings 33 Unknown [73]
23 April 2010 Iraq Baghdad April 2010 Baghdad bombings 85 Unknown [74]
10 May 2010 Iraq Various cities 10 May 2010 Iraq attacks 114 Unknown [75]
8 July 2010 Iraq Baghdad July 2010 Baghdad attacks 70 Unknown [76]
17 August 2010 Iraq Baghdad 17 August 2010 Baghdad bombings 69 Islamic State of Iraq [77]
25 August 2010 Iraq Various cities 25 August 2010 Iraq bombings 53 Islamic State of Iraq [78]
19 September 2010 Iraq Baghdad 19 September 2010 Baghdad bombings 31 Islamic State of Iraq [79]
31 October 2010 Iraq Baghdad 31 October 2010 Baghdad bombings 69 Islamic State of Iraq [80]
2 November 2010 Iraq Baghdad 19 September 2010 Baghdad bombings 113 Islamic State of Iraq [81]
18 January 2011 Iraq Tikrit January 2011 Iraq suicide attacks 63 Islamic State of Iraq [82]
19 January 2011 Iraq Baqubah January 2011 Iraq suicide attacks 12 Unknown [83]
20 January 2011 Iraq Karbala January 2011 Iraq suicide attacks 56 Unknown [84]
24 January 2011 Iraq Baghdad
Iraq Karbala
24 January 2011 Iraq bombings 56 Unknown [85]
27 January 2011 Iraq Baghdad 27 January 2011 Baghdad bombing 48 Unknown [86]
12 February 2011 Iraq Samarra 2011 Samarra bombing 48 Unknown [87]
29 March 2011 Iraq Tikrit 2011 Tikrit assault 65 Islamic State of Iraq [88]
5 May 2011 Iraq Hillah 2011 Al Hillah bombing 24 Islamic State of Iraq [89]
21 June 2011 Iraq Diwaniyah 2011 Al Diwaniyah bombing 27 Islamic State of Iraq [90]
5 July 2011 Iraq Taji 2011 Taji bombings 35 Unknown [91]
15 August 2011 Iraq Various cities 15 August 2011 Iraq attacks 64 Unknown [92]
28 August 2011 Iraq Baghdad 28 August 2011 Baghdad bombing 32 Islamic State of Iraq [93]
25 September 2011 Iraq Karbala 2011 Karbala bombing 25 Unknown [94]
7 October 2011 Iraq Baghdad October 2011 Baghdad bombings 7 Unknown [95]
10 October 2011 Iraq Baghdad October 2011 Baghdad bombings 10 Unknown [96]
12 October 2011 Iraq Baghdad October 2011 Baghdad bombings 29 Unknown [97]
13 October 2011 Iraq Baghdad October 2011 Baghdad bombings 18 Unknown [98]
24 November 2011 Iraq Basra 2011 Basra bombings 18 Unknown [99]

See also

References

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