From Hajin to Baghouz – Islamic State SVBIED Design & Use

In April 2019 I wrote the most comprehensive report of the Islamic State's (hereafter IS) design and use of Suicide Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Devices, or SVBIEDs, since the proclamation of the caliphate in 2014. The report, titled "Car Bombs as Weapons of War" and published by the Middle East Institute,…

2 Comments

Bouquet of Death: Why ISIS Fighters Bring Flowers to Suicide Bombings

Recently I wrote a short article for Popular Front that was just released, about why IS fighters sometimes mount flowers to their SVBIEDs. The article can be read here on the new Popular Front website.

0 Comments
Through the desert and down the Euphrates – Islamic State SVBIED use & innovation
October 22, 2017 – used by IS in Deir ez-zor province.

Through the desert and 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…

1 Comment

The World’s Largest Collection of Suicide Car Bombs

An SVBIED (Suicide Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device) is usually a very high-value asset for the group using it, meaning that they're typically deployed in quite a reserved fashion. Even for IS, it's not often that you see them use more than two SVBIEDs at the same time. Large collections of…

4 Comments
Stäng menyn