In 2003, there were 30+ suicide bombings executed by 32 attackers.

February

*February 26: A suspected Ansar al-Islam member

detonate Detonation () is a type of combustion involving a supersonic exothermic front accelerating through a medium that eventually drives a shock front propagating directly in front of it. Detonations propagate supersonically through shock waves wit ...

d a

suicide vest Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

at a checkpoint in Zamaqi, northern Iraq, killing four.

March

*March 13: A suspected Ansar al-Islam suicide bomber blew himself up in northern Iraq targeting the Kurdish political leadership. *March 22: Three people were killed, including

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Aus ...

cameraman Paul Moran, and nine others injured when a suicide

car bomb A car bomb, bus bomb, van bomb, lorry bomb, or truck bomb, also known as a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), is an improvised explosive device designed to be detonated in an automobile or other vehicles. Car bombs can be roug ...

er blew himself up at a checkpoint in Said Sadiq, northeast Iraq. *March 29: Iraqi soldier Ali Jaafar Musa Hammadi al-Numani killed four U.S. soldiers in a suicide car

bombing A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted mechan ...

attack at a military checkpoint near

Najaf Najaf is the capital city of the Najaf Governorate in central Iraq, about 160 km (99 mi) south of Baghdad. Its estimated population in 2024 is about 1.41 million people. It is widely considered amongst the holiest cities of Shia Islam an ...

. *March 29: A failed attempt by a suicide car bomber that tried to attack U.S. military convoy in central Iraq heading for Baghdad.

April

*April 3: Two Iraqi female suicide bombers killed three U.S. Army Special Operations soldiers at a checkpoint 11 miles southwest of Haditha Dam in Al Anbar province. Wadad Jamil Jassem and her accomplice Nour Qaddour al-Shanbari, a pregnant woman who was also killed in the attack, exited the vehicle prior to the

explosion An explosion is a rapid expansion in volume of a given amount of matter associated with an extreme outward release of energy, usually with the generation of high temperatures and release of high-pressure gases. Explosions may also be generated ...

and began screaming in fear. The three soldiers approached the vehicle believing the pregnant woman needed assistance, when suddenly the women detonated a bomb hidden inside the vehicle. *April 4: A

Fedayeen Fedayeen ( ''fidāʻiyyūn'' "self-sacrificers") is an Arabic language, Arabic term used to refer to various military groups willing to sacrifice themselves for a larger campaign. Etymology "Fidayun" is the plural of "fidayi" ( ''fidāʻiyy'' ...

suicide car bomber attempts an attack on a U.S. military convoy in Baghdad. *April 6: A would-be suicide bomber belonging to the Fedayeen Saddam paramilitary group gets killed by Coalition forces after a failed attempt to attack U.S. military convoy near Baghdad. *April 10: A suicide bomber walked up to a U.S. military checkpoint in central Baghdad and blew himself up, killing one U.S. soldier and wounding four U.S. Marines. *April 12: A suicide bomber attacked a U.S. military checkpoint in Baghdad, killing one and wounding five.

August

*August 7: Jordanian embassy bombing in Baghdad: A bus bombing outside the

embassy A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a Sovereign state, state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase ...

killed 17 people. *August 19: Canal Hotel bombing: in Baghdad, killed 22 people (including the top

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

representative Sergio Vieira de Mello) and wounds over 100. *August 29: Imam Ali mosque bombing: One or two car bombs, possibly detonated by suicide bombers, exploded outside the

Imam Ali Shrine The Sanctuary of Imām 'Alī (), also known as the Mosque of 'Alī (), located in Najaf, Iraq, is a mausoleum which Shia and Sunni Muslims believe contains the tomb of 'Alī ibn Abī Tālib, a cousin, son-in-law and companion of the Islamic Pro ...

in Najaf. Between 85 and 125 people were killed, including the leader of the nation's

Shia Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood ...

community Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Baqr al-Hakim.

September

*September 3: A suicide bomber attacked a U.S. military base in

Ramadi Ramadi ( ''Ar-Ramādī''; also formerly rendered as ''Rumadiyah'' or ''Rumadiya'') is a city in central Iraq, about west of Baghdad and west of Fallujah. It is the capital and largest city of Al Anbar Governorate which shares borders with Syri ...

killing 2 people and wounding 2. *September 9: A suicide car bomber targeted the U.S. intelligence

headquarters Headquarters (often referred to as HQ) notes the location where most or all of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. The term is used in a wide variety of situations, including private sector corporations, non-profits, mil ...

in the northern city of

Erbil Erbil (, ; , ), also called Hawler (, ), is the capital and most populated city in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The city is the capital of the Erbil Governorate. Human settlement at Erbil may be dated back to the 5th millennium BC. At the h ...

, killing three people and injuring 41, including six U.S.

Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD, or DOD) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government charged with coordinating and supervising the six U.S. armed services: the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Space Force, ...

personnel. *September 22: A suicide car bomber blew himself up near the UN HQ in Baghdad, killing a

security guard A security guard (also known as a security inspector, security officer, factory guard, or protective agent) is a person employed by a government or private party to protect the employing party's assets (property, people, equipment, money, etc.) ...

and wounding 19 people.

October

*October 9: In the first attack on an

Iraqi police The Iraqi Police (IP) is the uniformed police force responsible for the enforcement of civil law in Iraq. Its organisation, structure and recruitment were guided by the Coalition Provisional Authority after the 2003 American invasion of Iraq, ...

station, a suicide car bomb exploded outside a station in

Sadr City Sadr City (), formerly known as Al-Thawra () and Saddam City (), is a suburb district of the city of Baghdad, Iraq. It was built in 1959 by Prime Minister of Iraq, Prime Minister Abd al-Karim Qasim, Abdul Karim Qassim and named Al-Rafidain Distric ...

, killing at least eight people. *October 12: One or two suicide car bombs near the Baghdad Hotel killed six

Iraqis Iraqis ( ; ) are the citizens and nationals of the Republic of Iraq. The majority of Iraqis are Arabs, with Kurds accounting for the largest ethnic minority, followed by Turkmen. Other ethnic groups from the country include Yazidis, As ...

and wounded more than 30 others, including three US soldiers. *October 14: A suicide car bomb exploded outside the Turkish embassy in Baghdad, wounding two security guards. *October 16: A would-be suicide vehicle bomber was killed by security services before he could attack the

Interior Ministry An interior ministry or ministry of the interior (also called ministry of home affairs or ministry of internal affairs) is a government department that is responsible for domestic policy, public security and law enforcement. In some states, the ...

building in Irbil. *October 27: 2003 Baghdad bombings: Four or five suicide car bombings rocked Baghdad, killing 30-40 people including, two US soldiers. The deadliest attack was on the HQ of the

International Committee of the Red Cross The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a humanitarian organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, and is a three-time Nobel Prize laureate. The organization has played an instrumental role in the development of rules of war and ...

, where a suicide bomber driving an

ambulance An ambulance is a medically-equipped vehicle used to transport patients to treatment facilities, such as hospitals. Typically, out-of-hospital medical care is provided to the patient during the transport. Ambulances are used to respond to ...

killed 12 people and wounded 20. The other attacks targeted Iraqi police stations. *October 28: A suicide car bomber blew himself up 100 yards from a police station in

Fallujah Fallujah ( ) is a city in Al Anbar Governorate, Iraq. Situated on the Euphrates, Euphrates River, it is located roughly to the west of the capital city of Baghdad and from the neighboring city of Ramadi. The city is located in the region ...

, killing four people.

November

*November 12: 2003 Nasiriyah bombing: A suicide car bombing in the southern town of

Nasiriyah Nasiriyah ( , ; , BGN: , ), also spelled Nassiriya or Nasiriya, is a city in Iraq, the capital of the Dhi Qar Governorate. It lies on the lower Euphrates, about south-southeast of Baghdad, near the ruins of the ancient city of Ur. Its po ...

killed about 30 people. The target was an Italian military base; 19 of the dead were

Italians Italians (, ) are a European peoples, European ethnic group native to the Italian geographical region. Italians share a common Italian culture, culture, History of Italy, history, Cultural heritage, ancestry and Italian language, language. ...

. *November 20: A suicide truck bomb exploded outside the office of the

Patriotic Union of Kurdistan The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK; ) is a political party active in Kurdistan Region and the Disputed territories of Northern Iraq, disputed territories in Iraq. The PUK describes its goals as self-determination, human rights, democracy a ...

, a US-allied Kurdish

political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular area's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology, ...

Kirkuk Kirkuk (; ; ; ) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of the Kirkuk Governorate. The city is home to a diverse population of Kurds, Iraqi Turkmen, Iraqi Turkmens and Arabs. Kirkuk sits on the ruins of the original Kirkuk Cit ...

. Four people were killed and 30 wounded. *November 22: Two suicide car bombers struck police stations in the towns of Khan Bani Saad and Baquba almost simultaneously, killing at least 18 people and leaving over 30 wounded. *November 29: Seven

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

agents of the Centro Nacional de Inteligencia were killed in an

ambush An ambush is a surprise attack carried out by people lying in wait in a concealed position. The concealed position itself or the concealed person(s) may also be called an "". Ambushes as a basic military tactics, fighting tactic of soldi ...

near Latifiya, 20 miles south of Baghdad.

December

*December 9: Suicide bombers, one in a car and another on foot, blew themselves up at the gates of two US military bases, wounding 61 American soldiers. *December 10: Three suicide bombers attacked the HQ of the

82nd Airborne Division The 82nd Airborne Division is an Airborne forces, airborne infantry division (military), division of the United States Army specializing in Paratrooper, parachute assault operations into hostile areasSof, Eric"82nd Airborne Division" ''Spec Ops ...

. One US soldier died and 14 others were wounded. *December 14: Hours before the US military announced that they captured

Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician and revolutionary who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 1979 until Saddam Hussein statue destruction, his overthrow in 2003 during the 2003 invasion of Ira ...

, a suspected suicide car bomber killed 16 police officers and two

civilian A civilian is a person who is not a member of an armed force. It is war crime, illegal under the law of armed conflict to target civilians with military attacks, along with numerous other considerations for civilians during times of war. If a civi ...

s outside a police station in Al-Khalidiya, 60 miles west of Baghdad. *December 15: On the northern outskirts of the Iraqi capital, a suicide bomber driving a four-wheel-drive taxi killed eight policemen at their station in Husainiyah. Just hours before, in the Ameriyah neighbourhood of the city, eight policemen were injured by another suicide car bomber. *December 17: A suicide truck bomber, who was trying to attack a police station in the al-Bayaa district of Baghdad, collided with a bus at an

intersection In mathematics, the intersection of two or more objects is another object consisting of everything that is contained in all of the objects simultaneously. For example, in Euclidean geometry, when two lines in a plane are not parallel, their ...

killing at least ten people and wounding 20. *December 18: A VBIED attacked a civilian

convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...

on MSR Hershey at approximately 0700 hours as they were leaving their encampment to go to work near Bayji. A

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

armored personnel carrier An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world. Acc ...

was destroyed in the process. Several injuries, but no US personnel - military or civilian - were killed. *December 24: A suicide bombing killed four and wounds over 100 at the Interior Ministry offices in Arbil. *December 27: 2003 Karbala bombings: Five Bulgarian soldiers and two Thai soldiers were among 19 people killed and 18 injured in a coordinated attack on

coalition A coalition is formed when two or more people or groups temporarily work together to achieve a common goal. The term is most frequently used to denote a formation of power in political, military, or economic spaces. Formation According to ''A G ...

military bases in

Karbala Karbala is a major city in central Iraq. It is the capital of Karbala Governorate. With an estimated population of 691,100 people in 2024, Karbala is the second largest city in central Iraq, after Baghdad. The city is located about southwest ...

. Four suicide car bombers struck a Bulgarian base, a compound containing the

city hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...

and police HQ, and a multinational

logistics Logistics is the part of supply chain management that deals with the efficient forward and reverse flow of goods, services, and related information from the point of origin to the Consumption (economics), point of consumption according to the ...

base run by Polish, Thai, and American soldiers. *December 31: Five Iraqis are killed and at least 21 people were injured by a car bomb which targeted a restaurant popular with Westerners in Baghdad. At least three buildings were destroyed by the explosion.

References

{{Terrorist incidents in Iraq during the Second Iraq War and Iraqi insurgency (2011–present)

2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...