Tag: Islamic State

ISOF Arms & Equipment Part 4 – Grenade Launchers & Anti-Armour Weapons

Miles Vining Editor’s note: This is the fourth and final part in a series examining the arms and equipment employed by the Iraqi Special Operations Forces, in light of the prominent role played by this unit in recent fighting. Part 1 (personal equipment) is available here, Part 2 (precision rifles) is available here, and Part 3 (machine guns) is

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Counter-IED Report article: Improvised, craft-produced, and repurposed UAV munitions

ARES Researcher Galen Wright and Director N.R. Jenzen-Jones authored an article which was published in the latest edition of the Counter-IED Report. Since 2016, the use of improvised munitions delivered by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) operated by non-state actors – and even some governments – has increased dramatically. The article, which draws largely on three

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ISOF Arms & Equipment Part 3 – Machine Guns

Miles Vining Editor’s note: This is the third part in a series examining the arms and equipment employed by the Iraqi Special Operations Forces, in light of the prominent role played by this unit in recent fighting. Part 1 (personal equipment) is available here and Part 2 (precision rifles) is available here.  Due to the nature of the operations undertaken

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Craft-produced anti-materiel rifles in service with Kurdish YPG

Ian McCollum The Kurdish YPG (People’s Protection Units) employ a number of different craft-produced anti-materiel rifles (AMRs), and ARES has obtained a number of photographs and details of these rifles. These photographs and contextual information came from a confidential source who served in a sniper tabor (platoon) of the YPG from June 2015 through August 2016.

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Indonesian SS1-V1 self-loading rifle in the Philippines

Miles Vining A seizure of arms from the Islamic-state aligned Maute Group (AKA Islamic State of Lanao) in the Filipino city of Marawi, earlier this year, included an Indonesian  Pindad SS1-V1 5.56 x 45 mm self-loading rifle. Captured alongside a range of commercial and military AR type self-loading rifles, the Pindad rifle stands out as it is uncommon outside of

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British HSR Cyclone anti-materiel rifles in Iraq

Miles Vining The Iraqi Emergency Response Brigade (ERB) is a component of the Ministry of the Interior, specifically structured as a counter-terrorism force responding to attacks within the borders of Iraq. Since 2016, however,  ERB forces have been serving in an offensive capacity alongside Iraqi Special Operations Forces, particularly during the ongoing battle for Mosul. As

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ISOF Arms & Equipment Part 2 – Precision Rifles

Miles Vining Editor’s note: This is the second part in a series examining the arms and equipment employed by the Iraqi Special Operations Forces, in light of the prominent role played by this unit in recent fighting. Part 1 (personal equipment) is available here. Although the suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (SVBIED) threat from the so

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Improvised grenade launching attachment for HMGs in Syria

ImproGuns A video posted to social media on 25 November 2016 shows Shi’a militia fighters making use of what appears to be an improvised grenade launching device attached to the muzzle of a DShKM type heavy machine gun (HMG) whilst engaging Islamic State militants near Deir ez-Zor airport in Syria. The device appears to be a

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Boko Haram with UAG-40 automatic grenade launcher in Nigeria

ARES Team On 24 April, Boko Haram (the Nigerian affiliate of the Islamic State) released information and images relating to an ambush against a component from the Nigerian Army’s 155 Task Force. Among the captured weapons and equipment is a UAG-40 automatic grenade launcher manufactured by Leninska Kuznya of Ukraine. The UAG-40 is a blowback

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Minimi type light machine gun with pro-Assad group in Syria

Jonathan Ferguson Images posted to personal Facebook pages of members of the Syrian pro-government Suqur al-Sahara (‘Desert Falcons’) non-state armed group prominently feature fighters posing with the Belgian-made FN ‘Minimi’ 5.56 x 45 mm light machine gun (LMG). Suqur al-Sahara has been described as an “elite” formation, primarily consisting of former soldiers. The weapon in

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