Hawija is a town near Kirkuk north of Baghdad. Hawijah is in the Kerkuk province of Iraq and approximately 30 miles south of Kirkuk. There are approximately 450,000 people in and around Hawijah, with an estimated 99% Sunni Population. While the city itself has about 150,000 with 98% Sunni population. There used to be some non-Sunni residents in the area during Saddam reign. During Iraq War, U.S. and Iraqi forces have experienced numerous lethal attacks in the area from Sunni insurgents. As of March 2006, the area of Hawijah was considered one of the most dangerous in all of Iraq with US soldiers and the foreign press corps in Baghdad dubbing Hawija "Anbar of the North," a reference to the violence wracked province in Western Iraq. Following the Iraq War, Hawija came into media focus on 19 April 2013, when an unprecedented way of violence erupted. In 2013 Hawija clashes between Sunni protesters and Iraqi Army, some 53 people were killed. Later death toll with involvement of Sunni insurgents, brought the total death toll of associated events to 215 by April 27. Wikipedia [ - ]

Hawija is a town near Kirkuk north of Baghdad. Hawijah is in the Kerkuk province of Iraq and... [ + ]