Timeline of the War in Iraq (2015)

This is a timeline of events during the War in Iraq in 2015.

Chronology

January

• January 8 – A suicide bomber targets a police checkpoint in the town of Youssifiyah, killing seven people. ^[1]
• January 21 - Beginning of the Mosul Offensive in which Peshmerga forces captured large amount of territory surrounding Mosul. ^[2]
• January 25 As many as 21 Arab-Iraqi civilians were killed in the village of Kocho by Yazidi militias in retaliation for the Sinjar massacre. ^[3]
• January 26 – Iraqi forces recapture the entire province of Diyala from Islamic State. ^[4]
• January 29 – Battle of Kirkuk (2015) begins.

February

• February 1 – Kurdish forces overcome ISIL militants in the city of Kirkuk. ^[5]
• February 24 – Multiple bomb attacks around Baghdad kill 37 people and wound dozens. ^[6]

March

• March 2 – Second Battle of Tikrit begins. ^[7]
• March 25 – American airstrikes on Tikrit, several Shiite militias go on strike.^{[ citation needed ]}

April

• April – May: Al-Karmah offensive
• April 1 – After a month of hard fighting, Iranians, Iraqis and Shiite militia overcome ISIL fighters and take Tikrit.^{[ citation needed ]}

May

• May 15: ISIL seizes control of the main Government building and city centre in Ramadi, the provincial capital of Anbar Province.^{[ citation needed ]}
• May 20: ISIL captures Ramadi.

June

• June 4: ISIS fighters close Ramadi dam gates, cut off water to loyalist towns ^[8]
• June 13: Militants attack government forces near Iraq's Baiji refinery, killing 11 near the city of Baiji as part of the battle for control of Iraq's biggest refinery. ^[9]

July

• July 13: Anbar offensive begins. ^[10]
• July 17: A suicide bomber detonated a car bomb in a marketplace in the city of Khan Bani Saad during Eid al-Fitr celebrations, killing 120–130 people and injuring 130 more. Twenty more people were reported missing after the bombing. ^{[11] [12]}
• July 23: Turkey begins bombing alleged PKK bases in Northern Iraq.

August

• August 1: Kurdish Peshmerga forces launched a new offensive against ISIS near Kirkuk and Sinjar. The US-led coalition conducted multiple airstrikes around Mosul targeting ISIS facilities. ^[13]

• August 2: Iraqi forces advanced south of Ramadi in Anbar Province with support from US airstrikes. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced an upcoming major reform plan amid widespread anti-corruption protests. ^[14]

• August 3: On the anniversary of the Yazidi genocide, UN officials reaffirmed that ISIS crimes against the Yazidis constitute genocide. Kurdish forces fortified Sinjar Mountain against possible ISIS attacks. ^[15]

• August 4: ISIS executed dozens of civilians in Falluja for allegedly collaborating with Iraqi forces. Anti-government protests intensified in Baghdad amid a severe heatwave. ^[16]

• August 5: Iraqi forces made limited advances around Haditha in Anbar Province. Shiite militias under the Popular Mobilization Forces launched operations west of Baghdad targeting ISIS cells. ^[17]

• August 6: Coalition airstrikes targeted ISIS positions in Mosul, reportedly causing heavy casualties. Political pressure mounted on Prime Minister Abadi to implement reforms. ^[18]

• August 7: Thousands of protesters gathered in Tahrir Square, Baghdad, demanding an end to sectarian quotas and systemic corruption. Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani publicly endorsed the protests. ^[19]

• August 8: Prime Minister Abadi presented a seven-point reform plan, including ending sectarian quotas and downsizing the government. ISIS shelled Kurdish-held villages near Kirkuk. ^[20]

• August 9: Iraqi Parliament voted unanimously to approve Abadi’s proposed reforms. Mass rallies across the country showed rare unity among different ethnic and sectarian groups. ^[21]

• August 10: The Iraqi government began abolishing senior governmental posts, including the positions of vice presidents and deputy prime ministers. ISIS executed alleged defectors in Mosul. ^[22]

• August 11: Iraqi forces retook the University of Anbar in Ramadi. ISIS counterattacks south of Mosul were repelled by Kurdish forces. ^[23]

• August 12: Fresh protests erupted in Baghdad, calling for reforms within the judiciary system. ISIS car bomb attacks killed dozens in mainly Shiite areas of the capital. ^[24]

• August 13: ISIS suicide bombers attacked a Shiite mosque in Baqubah, Diyala province, killing at least 20 people. Iraqi forces consolidated control over key supply routes in Anbar Province. ^[25]
• August 13: 2015 Baghdad market truck bombing
• August 21: ISIS imposes a curfew on Mosul after residents spray anti-ISIS graffiti on several walls. ^[26]

October

• On October 22, Iraqi Security forces and the Popular Mobilization forces finished recapturing the city of Baiji, Iraq, its oil refinery and the surrounding region.

November

• November 13: Kurdish forces take control of Sinjar from ISIS after it was seized by IS forces in August 2014. ^[27]

December

• December 16–17: Nineveh Plains offensive in which hundreds of ISIL fighters mount an attack against Kurdish positions but are repelled. ^[28]

See also

• 2015 in Iraq
• Terrorist incidents in Iraq in 2015
• Timeline of ISIL-related events (2015)
• Timeline of the Iraq War (2014)
• Timeline of the Iraq War (2016)
• Timeline of the Iraq War (2017)

References

1. "Suicide attack kills 7 in Iraq". 8 January 2015. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
2. Morris, Loveday (January 22, 2015). "Kurds say they have ejected Islamic State militants from large area in northern Iraq" – via www.washingtonpost.com.
3. Coles, Isabel (February 10, 2015). "Iraqi Yazidis take revenge as Islamic State atrocities unearthed". Reuters.
4. "Iraq forces 'liberate' Diyala province from IS". Yahoo News. 26 January 2015. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
5. Salih, Mohammed A. "Kurds struggle to defend oil-rich Kirkuk". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
6. "Wave of bombings in Baghdad kills 37 people". Reuters . 24 February 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
7. "Iraq 'seizes districts from IS' in Tikrit advance". BBC News. 2 March 2015. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
8. Alkhshali, Hamdi; Smith-Spark, Laura (4 June 2015). "Iraq: ISIS fighters close Ramadi dam gates". CNN. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
9. "Militants attack government forces near Iraq's Baiji refinery". The Daily Star Newspaper. Lebanon. 13 June 2015. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
10. "Fallujah Liberation Key to Securing Anbar". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
11. Salim, Mustafa (18 July 2015). "At least 130 are dead in Iraq after a massive bomb attack". The Washington Post. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
12. "Iraq violence: Car bomb kills scores in mainly Shia town". BBC News. 17 July 2015. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
13. "Reuters | Breaking International News & Views". Reuters .
14. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/8/2/iraq-pm-promises-reform-as-protests-gather-momentum%5B%5D
15. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-33759375%5B%5D
16. CNN ^{[ dead link ]}
17. "Monedas latinoamericanas descienden tras sólidos datos sector servicios EEUU". Reuters.
18. United States Department of Defense
19. https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2015/08/iraq-protests-sistani-government-corruption-reform.html%5B%5D
20. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-33829566%5B%5D
21. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/8/9/iraq-parliament-approves-pms-anti-corruption-plan%5B%5D
22. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/iraqi-prime-minister-slashes-top-government-posts/2015/08/09/09d2f10a-3e5d-11e5-9561-4b3dc93e3b9a_story.html%5B%5D
23. CNN ^{[ dead link ]}
24. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/8/12/iraq-pm-urged-to-reform-judiciary-after-mass-protests%5B%5D
25. "Canada PM unaware of payment made to quiet ethics scandal - ex-aide". Reuters.
26. "Isis imposes curfew in Mosul after spread of anti-Caliphate graffiti", Ara news, Aug 2015, archived from the original on August 22, 2015.
27. "Battle for Sinjar: IS-held town in Iraq 'liberated'", BBC news, Nov 2015.
28. Ryan, Missy; Morris, Loveday (December 17, 2015). "Islamic State offensive in northern Iraq, although repelled, shows group's resilience" – via www.washingtonpost.com.