First of all, I would like to thank a number of people who assisted me with information, translations, geolocations, and footage for this article. These people include, among others; E_Of_Justice, John Marquee, Suheil al-Ghazi, Samir, Qalaat Al Mudiq, Danspiun, Jakub Janovsky, …
HMMWV (Humvee)
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 …
Car Bombs as Weapons of War (Case study/Middle East Institute)
I just published an in-depth case study with the Middle East Institute, where I examine how IS design/tactics and use of SVBIEDs has evolved and adapted since 2014. The full case study can be read here: …
Last Resort – When Main Battle Tanks Are Used As SVBIEDs
The Islamic State's (IS) extensive acquisition of military armoured vehicles from government forces in both Syria and Iraq has been a well-documented phenomenon. Especially during their initial massive expansion in the 2013-14 period, but also sporadically over the years. These seized main battle …
Through the desert & down the Euphrates – Islamic State SVBIED use & innovation
This is the second part of a series of articles covering the IS development and innovation of SVBIEDs from the battle of Mosul to the current situation. The first part covered the similarities between the battles of Mosul and Raqqah, while this part will cover the Islamic State's use of SVBIEDs …