Timeline of the War in Iraq (2016)

This is a timeline of events during the War in Iraq in 2016.

Chronology

January

• Attacks in Baghdad and Miqdadiyah

February

• February 2 – The beginning of the Siege of Fallujah (2016).
• February 19 – Preparations for the Hīt offensive (2016).

March

• March 6 – 2016 Hillah suicide truck bombing: A suicide bomber kills at least 60 people and wounds 70 others after ramming his explosives-laden truck into a security checkpoint at one of the entrances to the Iraqi city of Hillah, south of Baghdad. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claimed responsibility for the bombing. ^[1]
• March 24 – Iraqi forces launch an offensive to recapture the Al-Shirqat District from ISIL
• March 25 – Iskandariya suicide bombing: A suicide bomber blew himself up in a crowd after a local football game in a village near Iskandariya, in a mixed Sunni-Shiite area, killing at least 30 people and wounding more than 65. ^{[2] [3]} The mayor of the town was among those killed in the explosion, he succumbed to his wounds in a hospital. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claimed responsibility for the bombing. ^[4]
• March 27 – Iraqi Yazidis and tribal fighters (part of Iraq's military) take control of an area between Sinjar and the border of Syria from ISIL. This is along the main highway (and key ISIL supply line) between Mosul, Iraq and Shadadi (or Ash Shaddadi), Syria, which a predominantly Syrian Kurd force captured from ISIL last month. ^[5] An alternative connection, that also requires this highway, would be to Al Hasakah, Syria, slightly north.
• March 29 – A suicide bomb attack kills at least seven people and wounds another 23 in Baghdad. A police officer says the suicide bomber set off his payload among a group of day labourers in Baghdad's Tayaran Square. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claimed responsibility for the attack in an online statement circulated by supporters, saying it targeted Shiite militiamen. ^[6]

April

• April 2 – Iraqi security forces free a large number of prisoners from an underground ISIL-operated jail in the city of Hīt. Malallah al-Obeidi, a local official in the Al Anbar Governorate, put the number of freed prisoners at around 1,500, saying most of them were civilians. ^[7]

May

• May 1 – 2016 Samawa bombing: In a rare attack in Iraq's mostly Shiite south, a twin suicide bombing kills at least 33 people and wounds 75 in the city of Samawah, Muthanna Governorate. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claimed responsibility. ^[8]
• May 13 – Real Madrid Fan Club massacre: A group of ISIL militants attacked the headquarters of a supporters club of the Spanish football club Real Madrid C.F. in Balad District, north of Baghdad. At least 16 people were killed in the attack. ^[9]
• May 18 – Iraq's prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, announced that the Iraqi army and PMF liberated the town of Rutbah, in the Anbar province, after a four-day-long battle with ISIS. The liberation of Rutbah has been viewed as strategically important, as it lies 150 km east of the Al Waleed border crossing with Syria, and 250 km south of Al-Qa'im.
• May 22 – Beginning of the Third Battle of Fallujah.

June

• 27 June – The Iraqi army enters the outskirts of Fallujah in the last phase of the Battle of Fallujah
• 29 June – The Iraqi air force heavily bombs ISIS vehicles retreating from Fallujah

August

• 21 August – An Iraqi F16 fighter bombed Mosul. The attack left 10 Islamic State fighters dead. ^[10]
• 21 August – At least 30 fighters from Islamic State were killed by security forces in Ramadi. ^[11]
• 25 August –
  • Qayyarah is liberated from ISIS to allow for a future offensive on Mosul. ^[12]
  • Iraq’s parliament dismisses Sunni Defense Minister Khalid al Obeidi after investigations supported by former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s bloc. ^[13]
• 27 August – An airstrike killed 12 Islamic State insurgents in Sadia village. ^[14]
• 28 August – One Islamic State leader dies in an airstrike in Mosul. ^[15]
• 28 August – Clashes left 2 ISIS terrorists dead in Hawija. ^[16]
• 29 August – 5 ISIS fighters die in an airstrike in Anbar province. ^[17]
• 30 August – An airstrike left 4 Islamic State terrorists dead. ^[18]

September

• 3 September – At least 18 terrorists from Islamic State died in an airstrike in Anbar province. ^[19]
• 4 September – Kurdish fighters killed at least 7 Islamic State insurgents in Tal Afar. ^[20]
• 4 September – Security forces killed at least 2 Islamic State insurgents. ^[21]
• 5 September – The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant bans burqas in northern Iraq after a series of fatal attacks on its members by veiled women. ^[22]
• 18 September – A bloc of 70 Iraqi parliamentarians announces plans to introduce a draft law granting immunity to the Popular Mobilisation Forces. ^[13]
• 21 September – Kurdish Finance Minister Hoshiyar Zebari is dismissed from Prime Minister Abadi’s cabinet by parliament. ^[13]
• 22 September – the Iraqi Army recaptures Al-Shirqat entirely along with several other villages. ^{[23] [24]}

October

• 4 October – Iraqi Air Forces bombing killed at least 40 insurgents from Islamic State. The airstrike occurred near Anbar. ^[25]
• 5 October – United States bombs Islamic State target killing 10. The airstrike occurred near Mosul. ^[26]
• 6 October – 4 terrorists from Islamic State were shot dead in Qaim. ^[27]
• 8 October – Airstrike left 7 terrorists from Islamic State dead. The airstrike occurred near Ramadi. ^[28]
• 11 October – 8 insurgents from Islamic State die in airstrike. The incident occurred in Mosul. ^[29]
• 15 October – A bombing by a coalition left 5 Islamic State insurgents dead and 7 were wounded in Nineveh. ^[30]
• 16 October – Iraqi PM Haider al-Abadi announced the start of the Mosul offensive; artillery fire began on ISIL targets. ^[31]
• 17 October – The main assault on Mosul is launched at 6 a.m.; Peshmerga advance from the east, Iraqi forces advance from the south; 200 km² is retaken. ^{[32] [13]}
• 19 October – 21 Islamic State insurgents were killed by security forces in Bojwana village. ^[33]
• 20 October – A leader from Islamic State dies in the airstrike. The airstrike occurred in Tel al-Sheer village, Nineveh. ^[34]
• 21 October – Beginning of the Battle of Kirkuk (2016).
• 24 October – At least 15 insurgents from Islamic State die in clashes with Peshmerga forces. The clash occurred in Sinjar. ^[35] Peshmerga forces also announced that they've ousted the Islamic State from the city of Kirkuk.
• 25 October – In Rutba district 40 insurgents from Islamic State die. ^[36]

November

• 3 November –
  • Fighting around Mosul displaces 8,000 people, marking the largest spike in displacement since the offensive began. ^[37]
  • Kurdish security forces demolish the homes of Sunni Arabs in Kirkuk in retaliation for the 21 October ISIS attack on Kirkuk City. ^[38]
• 6 November – ISIS launch coordinated attacks in Tikrit and Samarra targeting Shi’a civilians, including Iranian pilgrims visiting for a Shi’a religious holiday. ^[38]
• 8 November – Iraqi Security Forces and Peshmerga experience continued major gains in eastern Mosul, as well as areas north and south of the city, maintaining momentum in the anti-ISIS offensive. ^[38]
• 17 November – The Islamic State claims responsibility for a suicide car bombing at a wedding in Amiriyat Fallujah, Anbar province, reportedly killing at least 30 people. ^[37]
• 21 November – The Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service captures a media office used by IS in eastern Mosul, pushing further westward in the campaign to retake the city. ^[37]
• 23 November – A wave of Islamic State bombings occur in and around Baghdad, killing 31 people and injuring over 100. ^{[39] [40]}
• 24 November – A suicide truck bombing targeted Shia pilgrims at a petrol station in Hillah, about 100 km south of Baghdad. The attack killed at least 125 people and injured many more. ^{[41] [42]}
• 26 November – The Iraqi Parliament passes a law recognizing the PMU militias as an official part of the armed forces, granting them full legal status under the authority of the Prime Minister. ^[37]

See also

• Iraq portal
• Iraqi Kurdistan portal

• 2016 in Iraq
• Terrorist incidents in Iraq in 2016
• Timeline of ISIL-related events (2016)

References

1. Reuters Editorial (6 March 2016). "Islamic State truck bomb kills at least 60 people south of Baghdad". Reuters. Retrieved 11 May 2016.{{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
2. "Suicide bomber kills dozens at football stadium in Iraq". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
3. "Iraq violence: 'IS suicide attack' kills 29 in football match". BBC News. 25 March 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
4. "Islamic State claims responsibility for suicide bomb at Iraq football stadium". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
5. "Iraqi army says border area with Syria taken from ISIS". Al Arabiya. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
6. "Suicide bomber kills civilians in Iraqi capital". ABC News. Archived from the original on 8 April 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
7. "Iraq forces free prisoners from ISIS jail". Al Arabiya. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
8. "Rare IS group bombings in southern Iraq kill 33". Yahoo News. AFP. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
9. Stephen Jones (13 May 2016). "ISIS kill 16 Real Madrid fans in massacre at supporters club headquarters". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
10. "Iraqi F-16 bombs Mosul, 10 ISIS men killed". 21 August 2016.
11. "Security forces kill 30 ISIS members in northern Ramadi". 21 August 2016.
12. News Desk (2016-08-25). "Iraq forces retake key town south of Mosul: commander". Archived from the original on August 26, 2016. Retrieved 2016-08-27.
13. "Iraq". Security Council Report. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
14. "22 ISIS militants killed near Mosul". 27 August 2016.
15. "Airstrikes in Mosul kill ISIS leader". 28 August 2016.
16. "Armed clash between ISIS men in Hawija leaves two dead". 28 August 2016.
17. "Airstrike near Ramadi kills five ISIS members". 29 August 2016.
18. "Airstrike near Ramadi kills 4 ISIS fighters". 30 August 2016.
19. "Airstrike in Anbar kills 18 ISIS members". 3 September 2016.
20. "7 ISIS members killed, booby-trap cars lab destroyed in Tal Afar". 4 September 2016.
21. "Two ISIS fighters killed while trying to infiltrate Khalidiya". 4 September 2016.
22. "Islamic State bans burka in northern Iraq after veiled woman kills 2 jihadists". 5 September 2016.
23. Fadel, Leith (2016-09-21). "[Breaking] Iraqi Armed Forces liberate key ISIS stronghold". Archived from the original on September 21, 2016. Retrieved 2016-10-01.
24. "Iraq: Security forces recapture Shirqat from ISIL". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2016-10-01.
25. "40 ISIS militants killed by Iraqi airstrike near Anbar". 4 October 2016.
26. "US-led coalition airstrike kills 10 ISIS members near Mosul". 5 October 2016.
27. "Gunmen kill 4 ISIS members, raise Iraqi flag in Qaim". 6 October 2016.
28. "Coalition airstrike kills 7 ISIS members near Ramadi". 8 October 2016.
29. "Airstrike kills 8 ISIS militants, destroys Diwan al-Hisba headquarters in Mosul". 11 October 2016.
30. "Coalition airstrike kills, wounds 12 ISIS militants in Nineveh". 15 October 2016.
31. Hume, Nick Paton Walsh,Max Blau,Emanuella Grinberg,Tim (2016-10-17). "Battle for Mosul begins with gunfire, bombs". CNN. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
32. Gordon, Michael R.; Arango, Tim (2016-10-17). "East of Mosul, Kurdish Troops Advance on ISIS-Held Villages". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2025-07-06.
33. "Federal Police forces kill 21 ISIS militants in Bojwana village near Mosul". 19 October 2016.
34. "Airstrike kills senior ISIS leader killed in Tel al-Sheer village, Nineveh". 20 October 2016.
35. "Peshmerga forces kill 15 ISIS militants and destroy 7 car bombs in Sinjar". 24 October 2016.
36. "Anbar Operations announces killing 40 ISIS militants in Rutba district". 25 October 2016.
37. "CrisisWatch: November 2016". www.crisisgroup.org. 2016-11-30. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
38. "Institute for the Study of War". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
39. Press, Associated (2016-11-24). "ISIS car bomb kills 56, including 20 Iranians, in Iraq". Daily News. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
40. "Death toll in Iraq bombing claimed by IS rises to 73". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2016-11-26. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
41. "Nearly 100 killed in ISIL attack on pilgrims in Iraq". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
42. "Suicide truck bomb kills about 100 in Iraq, mostly Iranian pilgrims". Reuters. 2016-11-24. Retrieved 2025-07-06.

External links

• Iraqi News