2017 in Iraq

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See also:	Other events of 2017 List of years in Iraq

Events in the year 2017 in Iraq .

Incumbents

• President: Fuad Masum
• Prime Minister: Haider al-Abadi
• Vice President: Nouri al-Maliki, Usama al-Nujayfi, Ayad Allawi

Events

January

• 2 January – a series of suicide car bombings took place in Sadr City and behind the Kindi and Imam Ali hospitals in Baghdad, killing 56 people and injuring more than 120.
• 13 January – Iraqi forces fighting the Islamic State militants manage to seize full control of Mosul University which the army described as a significant victory. ^[1]

February

• 14- 16 February – A series of bombs on 3 consecutive days kills at least 48 people and injures over 50, all targeting Shi'ite majority areas in Baghdad. ^[2]
• 25 February – Saudi Arabia's foreign affairs minister Adel al-Jubeir visits Iraq, marking the highest such diplomatic visit between the two countries since 1990. ^[3]

March

• 5 March – Iraqi forces launch a new offensive against IS forces in western Mosul. ^[4]
• 6 March – The al-Hurriya bridge, one of 5 vital bridges in Mosul is captured by Iraqi forces, providing a foothold for the retaking of the city. ^[4]
• 8 March – Iraqi forces manage to retake Badoush prison in western Mosul, the site of the Badoush prison massacre. ^[5]
• 27 March – the American-led coalition conducted a bombing of the al-Aghawat al-Jadidah neighborhood in Western Mosul that killed hundreds of civilians. ^[6]

April

• 21 April – The 26 members of a Kidnapped Qatari hunting party are released from their captivity in Iraq that lasted 16 months. ^[7]

May

• 12 May – The Iraqi Popular Mobilization forces launch a campaign to retake the Qayrawan and Al-Baaj districts west of Mosul city from IS control. ^[8]
• 23 May – The Popular Mobilization forces announce the retaking of Qayrawan. ^[8]

• 30 May – Al-Faqma ice cream parlor bombing by IS kills over 30 people at an ice cream parlor in Baghdad. ^[9]

Great Mosque of al-Nuri (2020)

June

• 4 June – The Popular Mobilization forces announce the retaking of Al-Baaj. ^[8]
• 19 June – A mine explosion in Mosul kills one Iraqi journalist and 2 French journalists and injures others. ^[10]

• 21 June – The Great Mosque of al-Nuri in Mosul was destroyed during battle by IS militants. ^[11]

July

• 2 July – A suicide bomber targets a displacement camp in Anbar, killing 14 people. ^[12]
• 10 July – Iraqi prime minister Al-Abadi announces victory over IS forces and reclaiming the city of Mosul after 9 months of intensive fighting. ^{[13] [14]}

August

• 15 August – Iraqi forces announce the beginning of combat operation against IS stronghold in Tal Afar. ^[15]
• 31 August – The Iraqi government announces the retaking of Tal Afar and the entire Nineveh governorate from IS control. ^[16]

September

• 14 September – At least 60 people are killed and dozens injured in two attacks in the Thi Qar province near Nasiriyah city. In the first attack unidentified gunmen opened fire in a restaurant on the highway. The next attack occurred shortly after, when a car exploded at a security checkpoint near the same area. ^[17]
• 29 September – Iraqi government official threat to Kurdish to close a border in Northern Iraq follow vote for independence referendum. ^[18]

Deaths

Jalal Talabani

• 19 May – Nawshirwan Mustafa, politician. (b.1944) ^[19]
• 19 June –
  • Bakhtiyar Haddad, Iraqi journalist. ^[20]
  • Stephan Villeneuve, French journalist, killed in Mosul. ^[20]
• 24 June – Véronique Robert, French journalist, died of injuries sustained in an explosion in Mosul. ^[10]
• 10 July – Mohsen Ajil al-Yawar, head of the Shammar tribe and uncle of prime minister Ghazi Mashal al-Yawer. ^[21]
• 3 October – Jalal Talabani, politician, former president (b.1933) ^[22]

See also

• Timeline of ISIL-related events (2017)

References

1. "Mosul battle: Iraq forces 'retake' university from IS". BBC News. 2017-01-14. Retrieved 2025-10-07.
2. "Baghdad car bomb kills at least 48". BBC News. 2017-02-16. Retrieved 2025-10-07.
3. "Saudi minister makes first trip to Iraq since 1990 – DW – 02/25/2017". dw.com. Retrieved 2025-10-07.
4. "Mosul IS offensive: Iraqi forces capture second bridge over Tigris". BBC News. 2017-03-06. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
5. "Mosul IS battle: Iraqi forces retake Badoush prison". BBC News. 2017-03-08. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
6. Hennigan, W.J.; Hennessy-Fiske, Molly (24 March 2017). "More than 200 civilians killed in suspected U.S. airstrike in Iraq". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 8 April 2017. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
7. "Kidnapped Qatari hunting party of 26 freed in Iraq after 16 months". BBC News. 2017-04-21. Retrieved 2025-10-12.
8. "Iraq's pro-government forces retake Al-Baaj from ISIL". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2025-10-22.
9. "Iraq conflict: Baghdad ice cream parlour hit by suicide attack - BBC News". Bbc.co.uk. 2017-05-31. Archived from the original on 2018-01-28. Retrieved 2017-06-15.
10. "Mosul battle: Third journalist dies after mine blast". 2017-06-24. Retrieved 2025-11-05.
11. BBC staff (21 June 2017). "Battle for Mosul: IS 'blows up' al-Nuri mosque". BBC World News. Archived from the original on 11 January 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
12. "IS suicide bomber dressed as woman kills 14 at Iraq camp". 2017-07-03. Retrieved 2025-11-02.
13. Graham-Harrison, Emma (2017-07-09). "Iraq announces 'victory' over Islamic State in Mosul". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2025-11-02.
14. "Battle for Mosul: Iraq PM Abadi formally declares victory". 2017-07-10. Retrieved 2025-11-02.
15. "Iraq launches offensive against 'IS' in Tal Afar – DW – 08/15/2017". dw.com. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
16. "الحكومة العراقية تعلن استعادة قضاء تلعفر ومحافظة نينوى بالكامل". BBC News عربي (in Arabic). Retrieved 2025-11-23.
17. "At least 60 dead in attacks in southern Iraq". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
18. Nordland, Rod; Zucchino, David (September 29, 2017). "As Kurdish Borders Close, War of Words Heats Up". The New York Times . Archived from the original on 2017-10-01. Retrieved 2017-09-30.
19. Kurdistan24 (2017-05-19). "Gorran Leader Nawshirwan Mustafa dies at age 73 in Sulaimani". Gorran Leader Nawshirwan Mustafa dies at age 73 in Sulaimani. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
20. "Mosul battle: Mine blast kills French and Iraqi journalists". 2017-06-20. Retrieved 2025-11-05.
21. "وفاة زعيم أكبر القبائل العربية عن 80 عاماً في عمان". 11 July 2017.
22. "Jalal Talabani, Kurdish Leader and Iraq's First Postwar President, Is Dead at 83". The New York Times . 3 October 2017. Archived from the original on 4 October 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2017.