January 2011 Iraq attacks

{{Infobox terrorist attack

| title = January 2011 Iraq attacks

| image =

| caption =

| location = Baghdad, Baqubah, Karbala and Tikrit, Iraq

| target = Shia pilgrims, police buildings, funeral tent

| date = 2 January 2011
18–20 January 2011
24 January 2011
27 January 2011

| time-begin =

| time-end =

| timezone = UTC+03:00

| type = Car bombs, suicide bombing, spree shooting, roadside bombings

| fatalities = 5 (2 January)
137+ (18–20 January)
27+ (24 January)
48 (27 January)
Total: 217+ killed

| injuries = 230+ (18–20 January)
78+ (24 January)
78 (27 January)
Total: 386+ killed

| perps = Islamic State of Iraq (claimed; Tikrit attack){{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/25/world/middleeast/25iraq.html | title=Bombings Continue Campaign Against Shiite Pilgrims in Karbala | access-date=24 January 2011 | author=Leland, John | date=24 January 2011 | newspaper=The New York Times | archive-date=14 March 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180314070421/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/25/world/middleeast/25iraq.html | url-status=live }}

}}

In January 2011, a series of insurgent shooting and bombing attacks were launched throughout Iraq.

2 January attack

On 2 January 2011, four Iraqi security personnel and an engineer were killed in Baghdad by suspected insurgents. The attackers all used silencers on their weapons, and the attacks occurred within an hour of each, which implied they were deliberately targeting government officials. However, there were no immediate claims of responsibility.{{cite web|title=Insurgents Are Suspected in 5 Killings in Baghdad|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/03/world/middleeast/03iraq.html|work=The New York Times|access-date=19 January 2011|date=2 January 2011|archive-date=19 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190219130352/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/03/world/middleeast/03iraq.html|url-status=live}}

18 January attack

On 18 January, a bomber killed 63 people and injured around 150 in the city of Tikrit.{{cite news|title=Suicide bomber kills dozens in Tikrit|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/18/AR2011011800356.html|newspaper=The Washington Post|first=Liz|last=Sly|date=18 January 2011|access-date=30 October 2017|archive-date=16 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116104931/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/18/AR2011011800356.html|url-status=live}} The bombing occurred near a police facility where several hundred people were gathered. The attack was blamed on a lack of security at the event; a local police official said that "[t]he security procedures weren't good. They did not meet the demands of such a gathering." A local councilman, Abdullah Jabara, said that the attack was committed by the Islamic State of Iraq, and was intended "to shake the security in the province and to bring back instability to Tikrit."{{cite news | url=http://www.csmonitor.com/World/terrorism-security/2011/0119/Iraq-s-security-forces-targeted-in-two-attacks | title=Iraq's security forces targeted in two attacks | access-date=19 January 2011 | date=19 January 2011 | newspaper=Christian Science Monitor | archive-date=20 January 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110120134938/http://www.csmonitor.com/World/terrorism-security/2011/0119/Iraq-s-security-forces-targeted-in-two-attacks | url-status=live }}

19 January attacks

On 19 January, at least 15{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/19/AR2011011902739.html | title=At least 15 killed in third straight day of suicide attacks in Iraq | access-date=19 January 2011 | date=19 January 2011 | newspaper=The Washington Post | first=Liz | last=Sly | archive-date=1 December 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161201031040/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/19/AR2011011902739.html | url-status=live }}{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12223573 | title=Baquba ambulance suicide bomber targets Iraq police | access-date=19 January 2011 | date=19 January 2011 | work=BBC News Online | archive-date=22 November 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181122181008/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12223573 | url-status=live }} people were killed in two attacks in the towns of Baqubah and Ghalbiyah, both located in the same region about {{convert|65|km|mi}} northeast of Baghdad. In the incident in Baqubah, the attacker reportedly fired on guards at a police building before driving an ambulance with explosives into the building, where the vehicle was blown up. This attack killed either 13 or 14 people, while injuring between 60 and 70. The building collapsed after the attack, burying survivors of the initial explosion. The bombing was estimated to have used {{convert|450|lb|kg}} of explosives and left a crater {{convert|7|ft|m}} in diameter.{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/20/world/middleeast/20iraq.html | title=Insurgents Renew Attacks on Iraqi Security Troops | access-date=19 January 2011 | date=19 January 2011 | newspaper=The New York Times | first=John | last=Leland | archive-date=25 May 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525061256/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/20/world/middleeast/20iraq.html | url-status=live }}

In Ghalbiyah, a suicide bomber killed two people and injured 15 out of a crowd marching from Baghdad to Karbala, a holy city. An official from the Diyala Governorate and three of his bodyguards were wounded in this incident.

20 January attacks

On 20 January, at least 56 people died when two car bombs detonated near Karbala during the holy festival of Arba'een. In Baquba, three others were killed in a separate suicide bombing.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12242407|title=Karbala car bombs kill dozens during Shia festival|date=20 January 2011|work=BBC News Online|access-date=20 January 2011|archive-date=1 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201114924/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12242407|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/21/AR2011012100758.html|title=Officials: Toll rises to 56 in Iraqi pilgrim blast|date=21 January 2011|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=21 January 2011}}{{dead link|date=June 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

24 January attacks

On 24 January, two blasts, caused by roadside bombs, occurred in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, the first of which killed two people including an Iraqi brigadier general.{{cite news |author=Leland, John |date=24 January 2011 |title=Bombings Continue Campaign Against Shiite Pilgrims in Karbala |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/25/world/middleeast/25iraq.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180314070421/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/25/world/middleeast/25iraq.html |archive-date=14 March 2018 |access-date=24 January 2011 |newspaper=The New York Times}} The second explosion caused at least eight injuries.{{cite news |date=24 January 2011 |title=Two bomb blasts strike pilgrims in Iraq city of Karbala |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12264386 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170320082717/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12264386 |archive-date=20 March 2017 |access-date=24 January 2011 |work=BBC News Online}}

In Karbala, where Shia pilgrims were marking Arba'een, two car bombs detonated a few hours apart. The first bomb targeted a bus terminal to the east of Karbala and killed seven people, injuring more than double that, while the second hit south of the city and claimed 18 lives. The attacks killed 27 and wounded at least 78.{{cite news |author1=Parker, Ned |author2=Jaff, Salar |date=24 January 2011 |title=Iraq car bombings: At least 22 killed in car bombings |url=http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iraq-bomb-20110125,0,2303004.story |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110303055127/http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iraq-bomb-20110125,0,2303004.story |archive-date=3 March 2011 |access-date=24 January 2011 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}

Several theories arose as a result of the attacks, including that the attacks could be the work of Saddam Hussein's former Ba'ath Party members, or that they were an attempt to reduce confidence in the security arrangements for an Arab League summit in March.

27 January attacks

Three days later on 27 January, a car bomb targeting Shias was detonated at a funeral tent in the north-western Shula district of Baghdad, killing at least 48 people were killed and 78 wounded.{{Cite news |date=2011-01-27 |title=Bomb at Baghdad funeral in Shia Muslim area kills 48 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-12298002 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160922162216/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-12298002 |archive-date=2016-09-22 |access-date=2023-05-15 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}