Video Claims To Show A Chemical Bomb Dropped On Al-Bab

Over the last couple of days I've seen the same video repeatedly shared on Facebook and Twitter with claims that it shows a chemical weapon used on Al Bab

There's obviously a massive amount of interest in chemical weapon use in Syria at the moment, so it's worth taking a look at this video.

What we actually have in this video is a ODAB-500PM fuel-air bomb, which have been used in the conflict for several months.  I've collected a number of videos showing the remains of these bombs, which have generally been burnt out, so this is a pretty unique look inside an ODAB that hasn't caught fire.  You'll note in the video the men talk about liquid spilling out of it, and that it smells like benzene, which makes sense as this bomb sprays a cloud of fuel around it just before igniting.


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You can contact the author on Twitter @brown_moses or by email at brownmoses@gmail.com

Evidence Of New Incendiary Bombs Used In Syria

As I reported last week recent successes in the Aleppo and Idlib regions by Syrian opposition forces appear to have triggered another escalation in the Syria air war, with incendiary cluster munitions being deployed in locations across Syria.  A new video from al-Bab, Aleppo, has now emerged showing another type of incendiary bomb making it's first appearance in the conflict

What we are seeing in this video is a ZAB-100-105 incendiary bomb, with it's designation clearly marked on the bomb casing

This cutaway image gives you a sense of the shape of an undamaged ZAB-100-105 (source)

With reports of incendiary artillery rounds being used by the Syrian army, and more videos of incendiary cluster bombs emerging it seems the pro-Assad slogan of "Assad or Syrian burns" might be turning into more than just a something shouted at pro-government rallies. 

Update December 23rd Nic Jensen-Jones has put together this excellent post examining the payload of these bombs that's well worth a read.

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You can contact the author on Twitter @brown_moses or by email at brownmoses@gmail.com