# List of bombings during the Iraq War

Bombings were a regular occurrence during the Iraq War. They resulted in tens of thousands of casualties throughout the country, killing and wounding civilians and combatants alike. Many Iraqi insurgents favoured the tactic of suicide bombing, which was used at a particularly unprecedented scale against the American-led Multi-National Force – Iraq (MNF–I). Additionally, during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the United States and the United Kingdom collectively dropped 29,199 bombs on the country. This article does not list these aerial attacks, and instead concentrates on the smaller number of direct insurgent bombings during the sectarian conflict, when Shia Muslims and Sunni Muslims fought each other on the one hand and the MNF–I on the other hand.
Most of the organized bombings were carried out by Sunni insurgents affiliated with Jama'at al-Tawhid wal Jihad, Al-Qaeda in Iraq, Jama'at Ansar al-Sunna, and the Islamic State of Iraq, among others. The main targets of these bombings were MNF–I troops and private military contractors, as well as local Iraqi collaborators. Upon the outbreak of the Iraqi civil war in 2006, the various Sunni and Shia militant groups fighting in the country had effectively shifted their focus away from the MNF–I and began increasingly targeting Iraqi civilians on the basis of their sectarian affiliation.

## Perpetrators

A 2005 report by Human Rights Watch analyzed the Iraqi insurgency and highlighted: "The groups that are most responsible for the abuse, namely al-Qaeda in Iraq and its allies, Ansar al-Sunna and the Islamic State of Iraq, have all targeted civilians for abductions and executions. The first two groups have repeatedly boasted about massive car bombs and suicide bombs in mosques, markets, bus stations and other civilian areas. Such acts are war crimes and in some cases may constitute crimes against humanity, which are defined as serious crimes committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population."

## Analysis

A 2008 research brief by the RAND Corporation on the subject of counter-insurgency tactics in Iraq between 2003 and 2006 depicts a chart that shows that in June and July 2004, Iraqi insurgents began to shift their focus away from attacking coalition forces with roadside bombs and instead began targeting the Iraqi population with suicide bombers and vehicle-borne IEDs. By increasing the number of suicide bombings against civilians and accepting their targeting in retribution, the insurgents sought to expose the weakness of the coalition's and Iraqi government's security and reconstruction apparatus, threaten those who collaborated with the government, generate funds and propaganda, and increasingly enact sectarian revenge. The U.S. failure to adapt to this shift had dramatic consequences. By June 2004, U.S. deaths represented less than 10% of overall deaths on the battlefield and Iraqi deaths represented more than 90%—a figure that remained constant for the next 18 months of the war.
An analysis by Iraq Body Count and co-authors published in 2011 concluded that at least 12,284 civilians were killed in at least 1,003 suicide bombings in Iraq between 2003 and 2010. The study reveals that suicide bombings killed 60 times as many civilians as they did soldiers.

## Bombings

This article lists all major bombings of the Iraq War, which took place between 2003 and 2011. For bombings that occurred following the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country, see: List of bombings during the Iraqi insurgency (2011–2013).
| Date | City | Attack | Deaths | Perpetrator(s) |
| 7 August 2003 | Baghdad | 2003 Jordanian embassy bombing in Baghdad | 17 | Unknown |
| 19 August 2003 | Baghdad | Canal Hotel bombing | 23 | Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad |
| 29 August 2003 | Najaf | Imam Ali Mosque bombing | 95 | Unknown |
| 27 October 2003 | Baghdad | 27 October 2003 Baghdad bombings | 34 | Unknown |
| 12 November 2003 | Nasiriyah | 2003 Nasiriyah bombing | 28 | Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad |
| 27 December 2003 | Karbala | 2003 Karbala bombings | 19 | Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad |
| 1 February 2004 | Erbil | 2004 Erbil bombings | 114 | Unknown |
| 2 March 2004 | Karbala and Baghdad | 2004 Ashura bombings in Iraq | 158 | Unknown |
| 21 April 2004 | Basra | 21 April 2004 Basra bombings | 74 | Unknown |
| 24 June 2004 | Mosul | 2004 Mosul bombings | 62 | Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad |
| 28 July 2004 | Baqubah | 2004 Baqubah bombing | 68 | Unknown |
| 26 August 2004 | Kufa | 2004 Kufa mosque bombing | 74 | Unknown |
| 14 September 2004 | Baghdad | 14 September 2004 Baghdad bombing | 47 | Unknown |
| 30 September 2004 | Baghdad | 30 September 2004 Baghdad bombing | 41 | Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad |
| 19 December 2004 | Karbala and Najaf | 2004 Karbala and Najaf bombings | 66 | Unknown |
| 21 December 2004 | Mosul | 2004 Forward Operating Base Marez bombing | 22 | Jamaat Ansar al-Sunna |
| 19 January 2005 | Baghdad | 19 January 2005 Baghdad bombings | 26 | Unknown |
| 28 February 2005 | Hillah | 2005 Al Hillah bombing | 127 | Raed Mansour al-Banna |
| 16 July 2005 | Baghdad | 2005 Musayyib bombing | 100 | Unknown |
| 17 August 2005 | Musayyib | 17 August 2005 Baghdad bombings | 43 | Unknown |
| 18 November 2005 | Khanaqin | 2005 Khanaqin bombings | 74 | Unknown |
| 5 January 2006 | Karbala and Ramadi | 5 January 2006 Iraq bombings | 140 | Unknown |
| 22 February 2006 | Samarra | 2006 al-Askari mosque bombing | 0 | Unknown |
| 7 April 2006 | Baghdad | Buratha mosque bombing | 85 | Unknown |
| 1 July 2006 | Baghdad | 1 July 2006 Sadr City bombing | 77 | "The Supporters of the Sunni People" |
| 23 November 2006 | Baghdad | 23 November 2006 Sadr City bombings | 215 | Unknown |
| 16 January 2007 | Baghdad | Mustansiriya University bombings | 70 | Unknown |
| 22 January 2007 | Baghdad | 22 January 2007 Baghdad bombings | 88 | Unknown |
| 3 February 2007 | Baghdad | 3 February 2007 Baghdad market bombing | 135 | Unknown |
| 12 February 2007 | Baghdad | 12 February 2007 Baghdad bombings | 76 | Unknown |
| 18 February 2007 | Baghdad | 18 February 2007 Baghdad bombings | 63 | Unknown |
| 6 March 2007 | Hillah | 2007 Al Hillah bombings | 200 | Unknown |
| 27 March 2007 | Tal Afar | 2007 Tal Afar bombings and massacre | 152 | Unknown |
| 29 March 2007 | Baghdad | 29 March 2007 Baghdad bombings | 82 | Unknown |
| 12 April 2007 | Baghdad | 2007 Iraqi Parliament bombing | 1 | Islamic State of Iraq |
| 14 April 2007 | Karbala | 2007 Karbala mosque bombings | 42 | Unknown |
| 18 April 2007 | Baghdad | 18 April 2007 Baghdad bombings | 198 | Unknown |
| 28 April 2007 | Karbala | 2007 Karbala mosque bombings | 68 | Unknown |
| 13 May 2007 | Makhmour | 2007 Makhmour bombing | 50 | Unknown |
| 13 June 2007 | Samarra | 2007 al-Askari mosque bombing | 0 | Unknown |
| 7 July 2007 | Amirli | 2007 Amirli bombing | 156 | Unknown |
| 16 July 2007 | Kirkuk | 2007 Kirkuk bombings | 86 | Unknown |
| 26 July 2007 | Baghdad | 26 July 2007 Baghdad market bombing | 92 | Unknown |
| 1 August 2007 | Baghdad | 1 August 2007 Baghdad bombings | 74 | Unknown |
| 14 August 2007 | Til Ezer and Siba Sheikh Khidir | Qahtaniyah bombings | 796 | Unknown |
| 13 December 2007 | Amarah | 2007 Al Amarah bombings | 46 | Unknown |
| 1 February 2008 | Baghdad | 1 February 2008 Baghdad bombings | 98 | Unknown |
| 10 February 2008 | Balad | 2008 Balad bombing | 25 | Unknown |
| 6 March 2008 | Baghdad | 6 March 2008 Baghdad bombing | 68 | Unknown |
| 17 March 2008 | Karbala | 2008 Karbala bombing | 42 | Unknown |
| 17 June 2008 | Baghdad | 17 June 2008 Baghdad bombing | 51 | Unknown |
| 15 July 2008 | Baqubah | 2008 Baquba bombings | 35 | Islamic State of Iraq |
| 12 September 2008 | Dujail | 2008 Dujail bombing | 31 | Islamic State of Iraq |
| 11 December 2008 | Dujail | Abdullah restaurant bombing | 55 | Unknown |
| 8 March 2009 | Baghdad | 2009 Baghdad police recruitment centre bombing | 28 | Unknown |
| 6 April 2009 | Baghdad | 2009 Baghdad bombings | 34 | Unknown |
| 23 April 2009 | Baghdad and Miqdadiyah | 23 April 2009 Iraqi suicide attacks | 76 | Unknown |
| 20 June 2009 | Taza Khurmatu | 2009 Taza bombing | 73 | Unknown |
| 24 June 2009 | Baghdad | June 2009 Baghdad bombing | 69 | Unknown |
| 30 June 2009 | Kirkuk | 2009 Kirkuk bombing | 40 | Unknown |
| 9 July 2009 | Tal Afar | 2009 Tal Afar bombing | 40 | Unknown |
| 19 August 2009 | Baghdad | August 2009 Baghdad bombings | 101 | Islamic State of Iraq |
| 25 October 2009 | Baghdad | October 2009 Baghdad bombings | 155 | Islamic State of Iraq |
| 8 December 2009 | Baghdad | December 2009 Baghdad bombings | 127 | Islamic State of Iraq |
| 25 January 2010 | Baghdad | 25 January 2010 Baghdad bombings | 41 | Unknown |
| 1 February 2010 | Baghdad | 1 February 2010 Baghdad bombing | 54 | Unknown |
| 3 March 2010 | Baghdad | 2010 Baqubah bombings | 33 | Unknown |
| 23 April 2010 | Baghdad | April 2010 Baghdad bombings | 85 | Unknown |
| 10 May 2010 | Iraq | 10 May 2010 Iraq attacks | 114 | Unknown |
| 8 July 2010 | Baghdad | July 2010 Baghdad attacks | 70 | Unknown |
| 17 August 2010 | Baghdad | 17 August 2010 Baghdad bombings | 69 | Islamic State of Iraq |
| 25 August 2010 | Iraq | 25 August 2010 Iraq bombings | 53 | Islamic State of Iraq |
| 19 September 2010 | Baghdad | 19 September 2010 Baghdad bombings | 31 | Islamic State of Iraq |
| 31 October 2010 | Baghdad | 31 October 2010 Baghdad bombings | 69 | Islamic State of Iraq |
| 2 November 2010 | Baghdad | 19 September 2010 Baghdad bombings | 113 | Islamic State of Iraq |
| 18 January 2011 | Tikrit | January 2011 Iraq suicide attacks | 63 | Islamic State of Iraq |
| 19 January 2011 | Baqubah | January 2011 Iraq suicide attacks | 12 | Unknown |
| 20 January 2011 | Karbala | January 2011 Iraq suicide attacks | 56 | Unknown |
| 24 January 2011 | Baghdad and Karbala | 24 January 2011 Iraq bombings | 56 | Unknown |
| 27 January 2011 | Baghdad | 27 January 2011 Baghdad bombing | 48 | Unknown |
| 12 February 2011 | Samarra | 2011 Samarra bombing | 48 | Unknown |
| 29 March 2011 | Tikrit | 2011 Tikrit assault | 65 | Islamic State of Iraq |
| 5 May 2011 | Hillah | 2011 Al Hillah bombing | 24 | Islamic State of Iraq |
| 21 June 2011 | Diwaniyah | 2011 Al Diwaniyah bombing | 27 | Islamic State of Iraq |
| 5 July 2011 | Taji | 2011 Taji bombings | 35 | Unknown |
| 15 August 2011 | Iraq | 15 August 2011 Iraq attacks | 64 | Unknown |
| 28 August 2011 | Baghdad | 28 August 2011 Baghdad bombing | 32 | Islamic State of Iraq |
| 25 September 2011 | Karbala | 2011 Karbala bombing | 25 | Unknown |
| 7 October 2011 | Baghdad | October 2011 Baghdad bombings | 7 | Unknown |
| 10 October 2011 | Baghdad | October 2011 Baghdad bombings | 10 | Unknown |
| 12 October 2011 | Baghdad | October 2011 Baghdad bombings | 29 | Unknown |
| 13 October 2011 | Baghdad | October 2011 Baghdad bombings | 18 | Unknown |
| 24 November 2011 | Basra | 2011 Basra bombings | 18 | Unknown |