274 Killed Across Iraq As Mosul Residents Defy ISIS

At least 274 people were killed and 96 more were wounded in violence across the country. Over 200 of those reported killed were militants. Most of the wounded were civilians or security personnel.

Politics:

Residents of Mosul banded together to stop the destruction of an 840-year-old structure known as the Crooked Minaret. Residents of Mosul are also avoiding worshipping in ISIL-controlled mosques during the Eid holiday.

Anbar’s provincial council threatened to quit dealing with Baghdad if the Iraqi military does not stop bombing civilian targets in Anbar. Of particular concern is the dropping of barrel bombs, which the military denies using. In any case, Human Rights Watch has already noted the indiscriminate use of explosives against civilian targets.

France is now offering asylum to any Christian Iraqis fleeing the Islamic State.

Chinese Muslims many now be fighting in Iraq.

Fighting:

Harkening back to the height of the sectarian killings, 17 bodies, including those of three women, were discovered dumped across Baghdad. Some of the bodies showed signs of torture or were blindfolded. None had identification cards with them. In 2006 and 2007, police would find scores of bodies on a daily basis.

Elsewhere in the capital, gunmen killed four people. Bombs killed six people and wounded 18 more. Mortars in Shoala killed two and wounded seven more. Four militants were killed.

Air strikes killed 17 people in Jurf al-Sakhar and wounded 12 more. A child and two women were among the fatalities, but how many more civilians were harmed is unclear, but some of the victims appear to have been militants.

Nine policemen were wounded and 11 more were hurt during a clash with militants near Ramadi. They also said 35 ISIS members were killed and 14 more were wounded.

Unidentified aircraft near the Syrian border bombed a home in Qaim, killed two people and wounding three others.

Three Shi’ite militiamen were killed and five more were wounded defending a damn in Hamrin.

In Taji, mortars killed four security personnel and wounded seven more.

A booby-trapped home in Adhaim lead four security personnel to their deaths and wounded six more.

A roadside bomb in Haditha killed a soldier and wounded another.

In Basra, a sticky bomb wounded the governor’s secretary and his brother

In Jalawla, a roadside bomb killed two Peshmerga members and wounded three others.

Seven civilians were wounded during an air strike in Badush.

A senior ISIS/DAASH militant was killed in Baiji.

In Mosul, 150 militants were killed in air strikes.

Nine militants were killed in Iskandariya.

Security forces in Qadisiya killed two militants and wounded another.

Air strikes in Nineva province killed an unknown number of militants. A militant official was also killed.

Author: Margaret Griffis

Margaret Griffis is a journalist from Miami Beach, Florida and has been covering Iraqi casualties for Antiwar.com since 2006.