At least 103 were killed today, mostly militants in Anbar province. Another 48 were wounded, almost all of them in a bombing in Sadr City. The political fallout following a massacre at an army base over the weekend has already claimed two generals, and more may follow.
Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has begun a much-needed revamping of the Iraqi Army. Following the bungled rescue operation at an Anbar army base in the past week, two generals have been forcibly retired. The two, Abboud Qanbar and Ali Ghaidan, were close allies of the former premier, Nouri al-Maliki. Ghaidan had briefly retired after the takeover by ISIS/DAASH militants in northern Iraq but was quietly returned to duty soon thereafter. In an even more positive development, significant changes are coming to the "office of commander in chief," a controversial bureau created by Maliki when he took over the armed forces.
Although the Turkish government has resisted admitting how it secured the release of 46 Turkish and three Iraqi hostages, anonymous sources have said that they were let go in exchange for 50 Islamic State prisoners being held by Syrian rebels. The hostages were captured when militants stormed the embassy in Mosul last June. They were liberated over the weekend. With the release, Turkey may now be free to join the coalition fighting against ISIS, if only to prevent more refugees from entering Turkey.
ISIS militants could be redeploying from locations U.S. forces bombed last night to Kurdish areas such as Kobanê. Kurdish fighters had stopped the militants’ advance in that region and will now have to redouble efforts.
U.S. airstrikes also took place just over the border in Iraq. Dozens of militants were reported killed during strikes near Qaim. The provincial health department said that 48 militants were killed across Anbar.
A blast in Sadr City killed 18 people and wounded 41 more. A dumped body was found.
In Tikrit, mortars killed four people.
Gunmen in Abu Garma killed two people and wounded two more.
A roadside bomb killed two women and a child in Duluiya.
One person was killed and two more were wounded by roadside bomb in Muqdadiya. Security forces killed a sniper commander.
U.S. airstrikes killed nine militants and wounded three more near Kirkuk.
Eight militants were killed in a U.S. airstrike near Sinjar.
Seven militants were killed in Jurf al-Sakhar.
Security forces in the Lakes region of Iskandariya killed three militants.
Police in al-Suqur village killed two suicide bombers.
Fierce clashes in Sensl prevented civilians from leaving their homes.
Clashes between militants and volunteers occurred in Ishaqi.
In Hamdaniya, clashes between Peshmerga and militants left many militants dead.
