The Islamic State Is Reportedly Rounding Up Civilians to Use As Human Shields in Fallujah The Islamic State has reportedly moved civilians to the center of Fallujah, attempting to use residents of the Iraqi city as shields to ward off government recapture, according to humanitarian officials and local leaders. Fallujah, a mere 40 miles from…
Category: Syria
Learning From Terrorist Tactics: Preparing For Subterranean Warfare
I posted an article last year on Subterranean Warfare in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank and it now looks like this nasty type of fighting is definitely going to be part of the landscape in the battle zones in Syria and Iraq as well. -SF Last year, members of Jabhat al-Nusra, al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate,…
Crusader Corner: Syrian Kurds Blow Up ISIS Suicide Bomber ala’ Mad Max Style
If you thought “Mad Max”-esque moments can only occur with the help of CGI, think again. On Monday, France24 uploaded a video showing a group of Syrian Kurds attempting to blow up an explosives-laden truck driven by an ISIS fighter. The Kurds succeeded, in an event so dramatic it begs the question: When does Tom…
Learning From Terrorist Tactics: ISIS’ Sniper Propaganda
For those of you interested in this subject of Guerilla Snipers and how Propaganda in sniping can often be a valuable weapon in and of itself, I would highly recommend the Book Fry the Brain by John West. -SF Snipers stalk the sprawling battlefields of Iraq and Syria. Hiding, quietly waiting and squeezing off long-distance…
Crusader Corner: ISIS “Fighters” in Action or a Chinese Fire Drill? You Be the Judge.
I suppose we should be thankful these IS goat humpers kill more of their own fighters during a firefight than anyone else. Wow. Amazing they have gotten as far as they have. -SF New footage claiming to show Islamic State fighters in battle reveals confusion and retreat as they take on Kurdish peshmerga troops in…
Examining Terrorist Tactics: Hezbollah Develops New Skills in Syria
When Hezbollah first intervened on the side of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria, Israeli defense analysts saw the foray as a blessing – better to have their Lebanese arch-enemy entangled in a war in Syria. But there is increasing concern that Hezbollah is getting valuable battlefield experience in Syria, especially when it comes to large-scale,…
ISIS Corner: Is the U.S. Lilly-Dipping in Syria?
Lilly-Dipping: A Term used to describe a person who does not place their entire paddle in the water when paddling. In Military circles, Lilly-Dipping is synonymous with the phrase “Doing something Half-Ass” Or Not putting forth 100% effort. The great, long-awaited counterattack against ISIS has finally begun. The offensive that spans Syria and western Iraq is…
This Norwegian Mercenary Instagrams His War on ISIS
A veteran of the war in Afghanistan is using social media to document and fund his one-man fight against ISIS. A millennial soldier of fortune who goes by the name ‘Mike’ is waging an independently funded war against the Islamic State. While his real identity remains anonymous, the Norwegian fighter came to Norway as an…
Moscow Mercenaries in Syria
As Syrian forces push their advantage against the Islamic State, it is increasingly clear that there are Russians on the ground with them. Some are Spetsnaz special forces, there for recon and forward air control, but others are mercenaries, working for a shadowy outfit in St. Petersburg. Increasingly, the Kremlin is waking up to the…
Crusader Corner: ISIS Uses Mustard Gas in Syria
Islamic State militants attacked Syrian army troops with mustard gas in an offensive against a Syrian military airport in the eastern province of Deir al-Zor that borders Iraq, state media said on late Monday. Syrian state media did not disclose how many casualties were sustained in the latest drive by the hardline fundamentalist Sunni militants…