Iraq's War Against The Islamic State -- News Updates January 12, 2017

DW: Civilian casualties soared in Iraq in 2016

The year 2016 proved to be a violent one for Iraq. A nongovernmental organization reports that thousands of civilians were killed last year.

It was a bloody conclusion to a bloody year: A suicide bombing at a busy market in the Al-Sinek district in Baghdad killed 27 people on New Year's Eve and injured over 50.

Iraq had not seen peaceful times since the US invasion in 2003. Violence was still commonplace in 2016. According to a report drawn up by the project "Iraq Body Count"(IBC), in the past year, a total of 16,361 civilians were killed in the country. Even though the number of civilians killed has declined compared to previous years (17,587 in 2015 and 20,218 in 2014), the civilian death toll ranged between 4,000 – 5,000 people in the years prior to 2013 - in other words, the numbers are still relatively high. "An average of more than 1,300 civilians were killed in violence every month, the main exception being the September low of (935) which was however immediately followed by a peak of more than double that in October (1,969)," the report stated. Over two-thirds of the victims were male. Women and children each accounted for 10 percent of civilian deaths.

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Iraq's War Against The Islamic State -- News Updates January 12, 2017

Report: more than 16,000 civilians killed in Iraq in 2016 -- AP
Almost half of all casualties in Mosul are civilians, UN says -- International Business Times
Direct targeting: Civilians make up almost half of Mosul casualties, says UN -- RT
In Iraq, thousands of terrorism's victims go unnamed -- CNN
Iraqi army, coalition kill 108 ISIS fighters in Mosul -- RUDAW
Iraqi forces link up in north Mosul, make gains in southeast -- Reuters
In eastern Mosul, small signs of progress amid the fighting -- FOX News/AP
Islamic State Tactics Degrading as Iraqis Take More of Mosul -- VOA
British airstrikes target Islamic State amid battle for Mosul -- Irish Examiner
Iraq poised to retake University of Mosul from ISIS -- Al Arabiya
Iraqis Liberate 70-80 Percent of East Mosul -- US Department of Defense
Iraq claims 85% of east Mosul under its control -- Middle East Monitor
Military reinforcements in western Mosul as PMU prepare fresh operations -- Iraqi News
ISIS using hobby drones to bomb forces in Mosul -- AFP
UN: 750,000 Civilians Remain in Western Mosul Ahead of Offensive -- VOA
In Mosul areas retaken from Islamic State, loss and fear linger -- Reuters
What more will it take to free Mosul from ISIS? -- Tim Lister, CNN