Iraq: Suicide attack in Nahrawan kills at least nine November 27

Event

A suicide bombing and shooting attack in Nahrawan (Diyala province) killed at least nine people on Monday, November 27. Emerging reports indicate that two or three suicide bombers attacked the Shammari market area of Nahrawan, some 28 km (17.4 mi) east of Baghdad. One suicide bomber detonated his explosive charge after shooting several people, while the second would-be suicide bomber was reportedly killed by Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) after shooting several more people; a possible third would-be suicide bomber may have been killed by civilians, according to local sources, although this has not been confirmed by outside sources. Between 20 and 50 casualties have been reported according to initial reports; the death toll is expected to rise in the coming hours. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

Context

Terrorist attacks are common across Iraq. Diversionary and retaliatory attacks by the Islamic State (IS) have become increasingly common as IS has recently lost territory in Iraq and in neighboring Syria. It is likely that the group will continue to employ asymmetric terrorist tactics with greater frequency, using small cells that can operate within the group's progressively fragmenting leadership structure.

Advice

The security environment in Iraq remains complex. Although travel is possible in some areas (with proper security protocols in place), other areas should be considered strictly off-limits. Professional security advice and support should be sought prior to all travel.