Iraq Monthly Roundup: 68 Killed in February

During February, at least 68 people were killed, and 44 more were wounded. This is a significant drop in fatalities compared to January, when 106 people were killed and 50 more were wounded.

The largest number of fatalities occurred in the conflict between Turkey , the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (P.K.K.), and related guerrillas. At least two Turkish soldiers and 42 guerrillas were killed. One P.K.K. member and three Turkish soldiers were wounded as well. Two civilians were killed, and two more were wounded.

Early in the month, U.S. forces retaliating against Iraqi militia groups left 19 dead and 36 wounded. This particular conflict was ignited after Israel began attacking Gaza last October. However, it evaporated this month, when Iran asked the militia groups in Iraq to quit attacking U.S. targets, which could give the United States an excuse to attack Iran.

Remarkably and thankfully, there were very few reports of militant-related violence. Three civilians were killed, and two more were wounded.

At least 12 people were killed, and four were wounded in the recent violence:

Turkish strikes against Kurdistan Workers’ Party (P.K.K.) guerrillas killed two villagers and wounding two more near Akre. The four villagers were tending to their farms.

Turkish strikes against P.K.K. killed four guerrillas.

Four more P.K.K. were killed in a Turkish operation.

A Turkish drone killed two and wounded another member of the Sinjar Resistance Units (Y.B.Ş.) near Sinjar. The group is affiliated with the Kurdistan Worker’s Party.

An old bomb left by ISIS militants injured a man in Mosul.

Also, 172 victims of the Anfal Genocide were reburied at the Anfal Monument cemetery. The group was discovered in a mass grave in 2019 in Samawa.

Author: Margaret Griffis

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