Kurds Launch Major Offensive; 211 Killed in Iraq

U.S. General Martin Dempsey called on Iraq to ensure that Coalition aid is used effectively. He specifically wants additional reforms to military leadership posts, increased recruitment, and better pay systems. He expressed concerns about the government’s weak attempts to bring in more Sunnis. Dempsey also said the U.S. will consider protecting Iraq’s vulnerable antiquities.

The Kurdish government reported that it has supplied 97 percent of the crude oil it was required to under an agreement with Baghdad. However, Baghdad reduced its payments due to budgetary concerns and shortfalls in crude oil allotments that the Kurds blamed on technical issues in Kirkuk and Turkey.

At least 211 were killed and 53 were wounded.

Militants executed 20 men in Hawija, as many as eight of these victims were previously reported. Unfortunately, an operation to liberate Hawija did not come in time for these men. Many militants were reported dead in those clashes.

Peshmerga troops spread out from Kirkuk to attack militant positions to the south and west of the city, in the direction of Tikrit. The operation’s objective is to reduce the threat to the city. Five Peshmerga were killed and 35 more were wounded several car bombings. Over 100 militants were killed and many more were wounded.

A landmine in Dour killed two Peshmerga and wounded four more.

A suicide bomber in al-Anaz left three Sahwa dead and eight wounded.

In Baghdad, gunmen killed a civilian.

A civilian was gunned down in Muqdadiya.

In Mosul, 100 young men were arrested for not joining the militant fighters. An explosion at the university, which is now used as an explosives factory, killed five militants and wounded six more.

Security forces in Na’ma killed 37 militants.

An airstrike killed a dozen militants in Tal Kief.

An airstrike at an explosives factory near Falluja killed six militants.

Militants executed four of their own in Salah ad Din province. The men, who were former Iraqi pilots, were accused of leaking information to the Coalition. Security forces killed 21 suicide bombers.

A militant killed himself accidentally while planting a bomb in Abu Saida.

In Alam, an airstrike killed a wali.

Dozens of militants were killed during the liberation of Garma and Rashad.

Author: Margaret Griffis

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