Iraqi War Report – February 23, 2017: ISIS Combat Drones In Battle For Mosul

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Iraqi military for the first time officially admitted their losses from bombing, carried out by small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), used by ISIS. The casualties were suffered during incidents in eastern and southern Mosul on February 21. As the Daily Sabah newspaper reported, citing Brigadier General Abdul-Mahdi al-Ameri, an ISIS UAV “fired a missile” and killed two secondary school students in the district of Karaj Al-Shamal. Separately, three Iraqi servicemen were killed by a grenade, dropped from a quadrocopter in Furqan district, while two other soldiers lost their lives in the historical part of the city (the eastern part of Nineveh), and two others – in Al-Nour district.

In total, according only to the Iraqi government’s reports, 9 people were killed in attacks by UAVs. At the same time, ISIS claims that at least 30 Iraqi servicemen were killed as the result of dropping of various bombs from UAVs.

ISIS has been massively using various UAVs for the reconnaissance and correcting of artillery fire since 2014. However, since the end of 2015, the group has started to use its UAVs for aerial attacks. The compact Mosul battlespace allows to ingore problems with a lack of range of the used commercial UAVs. The fact that the city is separated by the Tigris also increases the role of UAVs in reconnaissance and ammunition supplies. ISIS members launch UAVs from roofs of civilian buildings which allow, in general, avoiding artillery and aerial strikes from US-led coalition and Iraqi forces.  Warplanes are ineffective against small UAVs and Iraqi forces deployed to Mosul don’t have means of electronic warfare to ping and mute ISIS UAVs. While this problem is not solved, ISIS UAVs will pose a threat to Iraqi and US-led coalition military personnel on the ground and to play an important role on the Mosul battlespace.

ISIS is actively promoting its UAV attacks in own media outlets, de-facto encouraging the terrorist group’s supporters to use UAVs for terrorist attacks in Europe and across the world.

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Dontlietome

I feel sorry for the remnants of the Iraqi army. The so-called help they receive from the Yanks is more akin to a Paedophile “helping” children, no wonder their losses are so high. They are being driven head-first into every ISIS trap based on the US “Intel”. The Israelis dance with joy for every Iraqi or ISIS death, because they ultimately want to see both sides dead, they just stand by adding fuel to the fire. As Martin Luther said of the Jews:

“They are the real liars and
bloodhounds, who have not only perverted and falsified the entire Scriptures
from beginning to end and without ceasing with their interpretations. And all
of the anxious sighing, longing and hoping of their hearts is directed to the
time when some day they would like to deal with us heathen as they dealt with
the heathen in Persia
at the time of Esther (…)

“Oh how they love the book of Esther,
which so nicely agrees with their bloodthirsty, revengeful and murderous desire
and hope. The sun never did shine on a more bloodthirsty and revengeful people
as they, who imagine to be the people of God, and who desire to and think they
must murder and crush the heathen (…)

“Therefore know that next to the Devil, you have no more bitter, more
poisonous, more vehement an enemy than a real Jew who earnestly desires to be
a Jew.”

Red Tick Alert

You are totally right. Wonder where ISIS got the UAVs from ?

Dontlietome

Most of the qaudro-copters/ drones they have are commercially available. ISIS is a CIA/ISRAELI construct, which is here for as long as Israel needs them to be. The funding comes thro’ Israel and the CIA, but the actual backers are Saudi Arabia, the UAE states and Turkey. Turkey can only fund “their” terrorists, the so-called FSA ,using the oil stolen from Syrian oil fields. I don’t know if you have read on any websites, such as Veterans today,that ISIS representatives were seen at the Military expo in Bahrain in consultation with weapons dealers on the availability of large UAV’s such as the Global Hawk, Grey Eagles and Reapers. it is not a problem for ISIS backers to fund and even operate this equipment for them……….. Israel also has many trained psychopaths who would leap at the opportunity to kill Arab civilians…………….which they seem very good at.

Red Tick Alert

I think you have me wrong… I am 100% with you.

Nigel Maund

Very interesting video and the points made, both in military and civilian terms, are potent. The danger of UAV’s being used on civilians to drop small bombs and grenades in Europe, for example, is a very serious matter indeed, and could have major implications with respect to the invaluable use of UAV’s for peaceful and beneficial economic purposes throughout the world. It’s another example of a useful technology being a double edged sword!