This article covers the 2015 Idlib offensive extensively, with some background. If you're interested in a broader view of how Jabhat al-Nusra's (now Hayat Tahrir al-Sham/HTS) use of SVBIEDs has changed over time as part of different phases up until the 2019-2020 Greater Idlib offensive, read my case …
Cinematic Depictions of Up-Armoured SVBIEDs: A Review
Following the rise of the Islamic State (IS), directors around the world have sought to capture this multi-faceted phenomenon on the big screen. Movies and TV shows have covered IS in different ways, with stories ranging from the qualms of IS foreign fighters to the grinding counter-IS fight …
Transplanted Armour: The Franken-SVBIEDs of the Islamic State
In the process of capturing a piece of territory that at its height was larger than the UK, the Islamic State (IS) was able to capture large quantities of armoured vehicles from its opponents. While many of these vehicles (primarily those of Soviet origin) were reinserted into their stated combat …
Shifting Gears: HTS’s Evolving Use of SVBIEDs During the Idlib Offensive of 2019-2020 (Middle East Institute)
Two days ago I published my most extensive work of 2020 so far with the Middle East Institute, titled "Shifting Gears: HTS's Evolving Use of SVBIEDs During the Idlib Offensive of 2019-2020". This case study initially covers the group's use of SVBIEDs since the beginning of the Syrian civil war and …
The Unique SVBIEDs Used in The 2013 Capture Of Menagh Airbase
Background On August 5, 2013, two suicide bombers belonging to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) detonated their vehicles inside Menagh Airbase in the Northern Aleppo countryside. By the next day, the remaining loyalist holdout located in and around the base command centre had been …