Iraq: Deadly attack north of Baghdad May 1

Event

On Tuesday evening (local time), May 1, unidentified armed men opened fire on civilians in the 14 Ramadan area of Tarmiyah (Salah al-Din province), north of Baghdad. Conflicting reports of causalities have stated that between five to 16 people were killed, with an undetermined number of others injured. Most reports have claimed the shooting was indiscriminate.

Context

Northern parts of Baghdad province remain exposed to activity by insurgent networks operating in southern Salah al-Din and near the borders with Diyala and Anbar. Last week, the Baghdad Operations Command (BOC) claimed that a militant wearing an explosive vest was killed in Tarmiyah. Although capabilities of the Islamic State (IS) aligned militants in Baghdad province are still assessed as reduced, the group has declared the intent to increase the tempo of operations in the pre-election period leading up to the May 12 vote.

Advice

The security environment in Iraq remains complex. Although travel is permissible in some areas, other areas should be considered strictly off limits. Professional security advice and support should be sought prior to all travel.