Showing posts with label Homs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Homs. Show all posts

Wednesday, 6 November 2013

The Syrian National Defence Force Provides More Evidence Linking The Government To The August 21st Sarin Attacks

Last week, I wrote about a video the Syrian National Defence Force had posted on their YouTube channel, showing them using the family of munitions that the munitions linked to the August 21st Sarin attack comes from.  These munitions, which I dubbed the UMLACA (Unidentified Munitions Linked to Alleged Chemical Attacks), were heavily documented by myself and others in the wake of the August 21st attack, and we were able to draw a number of conclusions about the munition.  These include there being at least two types of munition, explosive and chemical, there being two sizes of these munitions (the smaller linked to the August 21st attack, and two different types of launching platforms (a twin-barrel type, and single-barrel type).

Now, two more videos have been posted online showing Syrian military forces using the same kind of munitions.  The first video was posted on the YouTube channel of Tarek Ali, a reporter for Al Mayadeen TV, a Lebanese news channel that's been supportive of the Syrian government.  Tarek Ali has been spending time with the Syrian military, and this report is from the SAA and NDF advance on the villages of Maheen and Hawaree, after taking the town of Sadad, Homs.


At the start of the video we see a vehicle drive by, with a twin-barrel launching on the rear


This is clearly the same type of truck mounted launcher that has been filmed and photographed in Damascus and Aleppo, and shown to launch the UMLACA

Aleppo
Mezzeh air base, Damascus
It's worth noting for anyone investigating these launchers that the type of truck used appears to be different in each example.

The next example, helpfully posted on the Facebook page of the National Defence Force in Damascus, gives us our best view yet of the larger type of munition and single-barrel launcher


For those of us who have been trying to figure out every detail possible about these munitions, it provides some more clues about how these munitions and their launchers work.


The above image shows the single hole on the rear of the warhead, and a cover that has been manufactured for the nozzle of the rocket.  Not something that points towards a hastily put together DIY weapon.


Here we have the UMLACA in the launch tube, and you can just make out the black numbering that's common to the explosive type of these munitions, along with the single hole on the rear of the warhead.  Here we can see a black rod shaped device that has been attached to the hole.  It was noted that in the footage posted online shortly after the August 21st attack, showing the same kind of launcher and munition, that one of the men in the video appeared to screw something into the rear of the warhead, and this appears to be what that was.  What it actually is though, is another question.


During the launch we also get our first clear video of the fuze at the end of the warhead, which seems to point it being some sort of impact fuze.  It also appears that the black rod attached to the rear of the warhead is still in place, although it's hard to be 100% sure because of the motion of the rocket during launch.


This image was taken just after the cap on the nozzle was removed, and it appears a white cable was being held in by the cap.


A cable is also seen running of the side of the truck, but it's unclear if this could be a command cable.


The man who removes the nozzle cap then appears to possibly pull the cable onto the truck, maybe to connect to the possible command cable?


It also appears that just before each launch, no cable can be seen hanging from the rear of the rocket, suggesting that perhaps the cable has been looped back onto the truck to connect to the potential command cable.

If nothing else, this gives you an idea of the extra little details this video provides, and for those of us still trying to gather every single tiny piece of information on these munitions this sort of footage is invaluable.

More posts on the subject of the August 21st attacks can be found here, and other posts on chemical weapons and Syria, including extremely informative interviews with chemical weapon specialists, can be found here.

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


Thursday, 22 August 2013

More Videos Emerge Of Chemical Attack Linked Mystery Munitions

Yesterday, I wrote about a munition which local activist groups in Damascus claimed was linked with the alleged chemical attack that took place in Adra.



As I mentioned in the article, a number of these have been recorded before in the conflict, two of which were linked with alleged chemical attacks, and now footage has been posted online, filmed in Adra, that shows the same munitions again



What's interesting about these is the description in the video claims they aren't linked with the latest attack in Adra, but an earlier alleged chemical attack on August 5th, where another one of these munitions was filmed (warning, graphic images)


None of the remains of these munitions featured in the above three videos match each other, nor do they match the remains of munitions in other videos and photographs.  It's also interesting to note that one of the video shows a unidentified black substances splattered on the munition, which was seen in photographs and videos of other examples of these munitions.

The question still remains of what these could be?  In all cases these are munitions that the opposition has claimed the government has used, even before they were linked to chemical attacks, and they don't match any known munition used elsewhere in the world.  What their payload is, and how they are launched remains a mystery, but there's more and more images of these in relation to chemical attacks, and it seems they might be key to understanding some of the alleged chemical attacks in Syria.

Related Articles
Are These The Munitions Used In Today's Alleged Chemical Weapon Attack?
DIY Weapon Linked To Alleged Chemical Weapon Attack in Adra, Damascus
A Mystery Munition - Syrian Army DIY Rockets?
Collected Chemical Weapon Posts

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

Wednesday, 21 August 2013

Are These The Munitions Used In Today's Alleged Chemical Weapon Attack?

Today, there have been a large number of reports of a chemical weapon attack in Eastern Ghouta, near Damascus, with dozens of videos of the victims posted online (here).  Large numbers of victims have been reported, and the following pictures have been posted online claiming to show two of the munitions used in the attack


[Source]

Update August 22nd Videos have now been posted on YouTube showing the same type of munition, as well as an additional munition, plus one linked to the attack, as well as a third munition linked to the attack, and  a gallery of photos showing one of the above munitions






What's extremely interesting about these devices is they match with devices previously recorded in the conflict, reportedly launched by government forces, with it's first appearance in Daraya, south-west Damascus on January 4th


With photographs of the munition taken elsewhere in Daraya on the same day



Adra, northeast of Damascus, on June 11th, described as a "chemical missile"


Adra, on August 5th, linked to an alleged chemical attack on the same day


Khalidiya, Homs on August 2nd.  This video gives us a sense of the size of one of these munitions, early in the video it's lined up against a car, and would be around 3-3.5 meters along, with the payload being around 1-1.5 meters long


It's interesting to note that the example from Homs appears to have an explosive fill, that would have likely destroyed much of the munition if it had detonated, while the other examples appear to have used up their payload without any damage to the munition, perhaps implying there's multiple payloads.

The obvious question are what are these munitions? There's clear evidence that these have been linked to previous chemical attacks in Syria, but also that there are explosive versions of these munitions being used in the Syrian conflict. The question is what other open source information can lead us to discover the true identity of these munitions.

Update August 22nd More information on these munitions can be found here.

Related Articles
DIY Weapon Linked To Alleged Chemical Weapon Attack in Adra, Damascus
A Mystery Munition - Syrian Army DIY Rockets?
Collected Chemical Weapon Posts

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

Tuesday, 6 August 2013

DIY Weapon Linked To Alleged Chemical Weapon Attack in Adra, Damascus

Yesterday there were more reports of alleged chemical weapon use in Adra, Damascus, scene of several previously reportedly alleged chemical weapon attacks.  A number of videos were posted online, including this video showing a number of dead animals, and the remains of a device alleged to be linked to the alleged chemical weapon attack


Regular readers of the blog might recognise this device as resembling an unidentified rocket/missile I've written about recently, reportedly used by government forces in Daraya, Damascus in January, and in Adra, Damascus in June.  Since I made that post I've been sent two photographs of another example that was used in Daraya on the same day as January video



In addition to these images from Damascus we also have this video posted a few days ago from Khalidiya, Homs

It's worth noting that none of the previous videos or photographs have been associated with chemical attacks, so the questions remains, what are these?

In the video from Homs, Khalidiya, it appears there's a clear shot of the unexploded payload


This tightly packed yellow substance is very reminiscent of the explosive fill of high explosive bombs, such as the OFAB 250-275 (seen here), and if the entire front end of that weapon is filled with that sort of high explosive it would be a devastating weapon.  If this was propelled by a rocket it would be very much like an IRAM (Improvised Rocket Assisted Munition/Mortar) that has been previously used in the conflict on several occasions.  The problem is, the other videos and photographs would seem to point away from the payload being a large amount of high explosive.  It seems very likely an explosion of that size would totally destroy the front end of the munition, and almost certainly badly damage the rest of the munition, yet it's clear that in some of the images the front end seems relatively undamaged for what should be a massive explosion.

That made me think, are we perhaps looking at more than one kind of payload?  Looking at the two photographs taken in Daraya in January it appears a near by wall has been splattered by a dark liquid


There's also traces of a dark liquid on the munition used in Adra in June, on the section where the payload would be contained.


In the most recent attack the tube of metal where the payload would have been looks black and shiny, possibly covered in a black liquid, although it's difficult to be sure


It's also interesting that the metal plate shown above appears to have what might be two holes possibly used for filling the warhead, and this appears to be present in all the examples where that part of the munition is visible.

However, without further information it seems to be difficult to ascertain the payload used.  Judging by the number of images being produced of these munitions in recent weeks it does seem to indicate they are being used on a more regular basis, and they also appear to be a rare example of a DIY weapon used by government forces.

Related Articles
DIY Weapons In Syria - Hezbollah Deploys IRAMs In Qusayr
DIY Weapons In Syria - The Hell Cannon
More Details Of Air-To-Air Missiles Used As Surface-To-Surface Missiles
Video Footage Of Air-To-Air Missiles Being Used As Surface-To-Surface Missiles In Syria
DIY Weapons In Syria - The Mobile Mortar Battery
DIY Weapons In Syria - The DIY Grenade Launcher
Unexploded Cluster Bomblets Repurposed As DIY Rocket Warheads
Unexploded Cluster Bomblets Repurposed As DIY Mortar Bombs

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

Wednesday, 5 June 2013

Video Shows Opposition Forces And Wounded Retreating From Qusayr

Today it's been confirmed by both the Syrian government and opposition that opposition forces have withdrawn from the town of Qusayr, Homs, site of a key battle in the region.  The Qusayr Media Center, which had been posting regular videos from the town has posted one video, apparently filmed during the retreat, showing the wounded being evacuated


I've had the video translated
Hadi al-Abulluh (local activist): Those are some of the wounded who are besieged in Qysayr. There are about 970. Every day we try getting them out of the town but we can’t do so because of the siege imposed on us. There is no safe exit. International organizations didn’t reach us, neither Red Cross not Read Crescent.
1:20 Old man: We must help the wounded, there are more than 1200. Neither the European nor the Arabs are answering our calls for help.
3:15 un-named man: Why don’t the Muslims help us?
4:35 un-named man: I am one out of 1200 wounded. There were many attempts to get us out of here. Every time 50 try to get out only 25 return back because they usually get killed on their way out. Some of them died because of the shelling or as a result of the fatal wounds. Most of us here are civilians, nobody is doing anything to help us.
5:36 un-named man: The Arabs have left us alone dying slowly. We need men not money.
6:08 off-camera: We are improvising burial cloth out of blankets and clothes because they ran out. Many were buried wearing their clothes because we have no more burial cloth. 
From the other side this report from al-Manar TV showing government forces inside Qusayr was posted, clearly showing them in control of the center of the town


It's interesting to note that at this point in the video air-to-air missiles can been seen, which despite some claims of them being US/Israeli missiles, actually appear to be the missile taken from Dabaa airbase, and turned into surface-to-surface missiles by opposition fighters, something I detail here and here.

Related posts
Reinforcements And A Senior Free Syrian Army Member Arrive In Qusayr
Abu Sakkar Joins Mounting Casualties From The Fighting in Qusayr
Syrian Opposition Fighters (Including Abu Sakkar) Appear In A Video From Central Qusayr

Sunday, 2 June 2013

Reinforcements And A Senior Free Syrian Army Member Arrive In Qusayr

Since the fighting began between opposition forces and Syrian government forces including Hezbollah and National Defense Force fighters in Qusayr, Homs, a number of videos and statements have been posted by opposition groups from across the country claiming that reinforcements were on the way.  For example, this video shows Colonel Abdul-Jabbar Mohammed Aqidi, a senior member of the Free Syrian Army's Supreme Military Council, claiming to be on the way to Qusayr


In the video he says
Today I am with my brother Abdulkader Al-Saleh and a pretty big group of fighters on our way to relieve our brothers in Qusayr. We expect to reach Qusayr tomorrow. We are coming to you Bashar and Nasr Allah, and will target your strongholds in Al-Dahiyah (Southern Beirut) as long as you continue your aggression against the Syrian people and our brothers in Homs. We assure all the Syrian people and especially those in Homs that many fighters are coming to relieve our brothers in Homs and in Qusayr. By God’s assistance we will be victorious.
The above video is from May 22nd, and while it took more than one more day to reach Qusayr, this following video posted on June 2nd from Qusayr shows Colonel Aqidi with Hadi Al-Abdallah, an activist from Homs who has been working in Qusayr over the past few weeks


Here's a transcript of the video
Hadi - From here, from beloved Qusayr, Col Aqidi and the head of the Military Council in Qusayr Abu Arab are making field visits to the fighters at the frontlines. We are now in central Qusayr. We have been relieved by the Military Council in Aleppo and Tawheed Brigade, and also by our brothers in Deir Al-Zoor headed by Al-Ausra Army. We are waiting for other fighters to arrive.
At first we would like to thank you for coming to relieve us. You are amongst the very few who came to assist us and preferred to come here personally to defend beloved Qusayr.
Aqidi -  First of all, we see this as our duty, and the duty of all Muslims and all free Syrians to answer this call for support and to come to rescue our besieged brothers and to try to lift this siege. All the Syrian lands and all the Syrian people are one. I call on fighters everywhere in Syria to relieve our brothers here.
Hadi - Did you have any difficulties while on your way to here?
Aqidi - You know, it wasn't very much easy to get to here, but when there’s determination man can achieve whatever he wants. Similarly, it was not very difficult to get to here because more than 70% of Syria is now liberated. We traveled wide parts of Syria while on our way to Qusayr.
Hadi - What’s your message to the battalions and brigades around Qusayr and in other parts of Syria?
Aqidi - I call on them not to leave Qusayr, and I also ask them not to hang around with things that are inessential to the revolution. Our aim is to topple this criminal regime who ruined most of the country. We saw that Qusayr is completely in ruins, mosques, schools and houses are all destroyed. The battlefield is here, so nobody should give up the town. If some are afraid of death, I would say death is everywhere. The regime’s troops and Hezbollah’s militia won’t enter the town unless that was on our bodies.
Hadi - How is the battle going? How far can you check the onslaught of Assad’s and Hezbollah’s troops who are attacking form all sides?
Aqidi - Apart from driving them back, we will attack them and seize the surrounding town and villages that fell to them. We set up a joint command headquarters that includes all the units here. As you have seen, everything is well arranged and we moved from the defence to the attack. We will direct fatal blows to Hezbollah. This flag is the only one that was filmed with the martyrs of Qusayr, you deserve it.
Aqidi - We ask God to grant us martyrdom.
It's worth taking note of the location they are in at the start of the video, where you can see both the damaged minaret of a mosque on the left, and a clock tower to the right


This video filmed on May 23rd shows the same location, starting with a shot of the minaret, and then the clock tower


The mosque and clock tower featured in both videos are at Aisha Square, in the center of Qusayr, and this would seem to suggest that in more than a week of fighting the opposition still holds control of that central part of Qusayr.

In another video from June 2nd Colonel Aqidi takes a tour of the battlefield with Hadi Al-Abdallah


Here's the a partial transcript, with additional translation and comments via my translator
0:10 The fighter speaking is from Deir Alzoor city, judging by his accent. The writing on his vehicle reads: “ Ahfad Aisha Battalions”.
1:05 Hadi - We are now on a field trip to some of the battle front-lines, Col Aqidi is checking with us. Fighters from Aleppo and Deir Al-Zoor have already arrived.
2:20 Un-named man - I am the head of the Military Council in Qusayr, I welcome those who arrived here from Aleppo to relieve and assist us, I also give many thanks to the people of Aleppo.
2:52 fighter from Deir Al-Zoor Qusayr is ours. I call on the fighters in Der Al-Zoor to join us.
3:48 Hadi - We are getting closer to the first front-line in the eastern side of the town where our fighters are clashing with Hezbollah fighters. Col Aqidi and Abu Arab are having a look at the front-line.
4:40 Un-named man - I have always hoped to meet you, now with you being here our morale rose from 100% to 200%.
5:27 Un-named man - We will fight to the last man.
6:23 Hadi - Fighters from Al-Ausra Army of Deir Al-Zoor and from Aleppo are in one trench with our fighters and are fighting side by side. We are waiting for fighters from other cities to arrive her and join us.
10:40 Aqidi - We don’t know a thing called ‘tactical retreat’, all our moves must be forward, not a step back even if the tanks rolled on our bodies, they haven’t known the people of Syria yet, we seek martyrdom as much as they seek survival. They (Hezbollah) think that their so-called war against Israel in 2006 will fool us.
12:50 Aqidi - I assure you more and more fighters are coming with ammo and arms.
13:05 Un-named man - Morale is very high.
16:00 Aqidi - We will retaliate against Hezbollah’s aggression in his territory, in southern Dahiyah.
So while it's unclear exactly how many men and what equipment has arrived in Qusayr, it does seem that at least some reinforcements have reached the town, and the question is now, is there more to come?

Related posts
Abu Sakkar Joins Mounting Casualties From The Fighting in Qusayr
Syrian Opposition Fighters (Including Abu Sakkar) Appear In A Video From Central Qusayr

Sunday, 26 May 2013

Abu Sakkar Joins Mounting Casualties From The Fighting in Qusayr

As I noted earlier this week the infamous "cannibal", Abu Sakkar, has been sighted inside Qusayr, Homs, scene of heavy fighting between opposition forces and government forces, including members of Hezbollah and the Syrian National Defense Force.  This photograph published yesterday shows Abu Sakkar recovering after being injured in the fighting


What's been notable about some of the footage coming from Qusayr (mainly via the Qusayr Media Centre and Tariq al-Homsi Youtube channels) is that despite reports of civilians being allowed to leave by the Syrian Army via a safe passage in the north of the city before the fighting began it seems many civilian remain in Qusayr, either through choice or circumstances, for example this elderly couple, and this group of women and children


This has resulted in inevitable civilian casualties, including injured and killed children (graphic), with a video showing their burial posted yesterday


It's also worth noting that currently it appears the northwest quarter of the town seems to be the main source of resistance against the Syrian government forces, which has long been the main stronghold for the opposition in the town going back months.  It's possible that rather than holding territory they were unfamiliar with the Syrian opposition forces decided to stick to the area they were familiar with, and this could be why we're now seeing what appears to be very slow movement on the front-lines compared to rapid movement early on in the battle.

Related posts
Syrian Opposition Fighters (Including Abu Sakkar) Appear In A Video From Central Qusayr

Thursday, 23 May 2013

Syrian Opposition Fighters (Including Abu Sakkar) Appear In A Video From Central Qusayr

During the fighting in Qusayr between the Syrian opposition and government forces supported by Hezbollah the Qusayr Media Centre have been posting regular videos from inside the town.  This video posted today shows opposition fighters in the center of the town


You'll note the speaker is a woman, unusual for videos like this from Syria, and the man stood second from the left is the notorious Abu Sakkar.  This isn't the first video Abu Sakkar has appeared in from Qusayr in recent days, with this one showing him wearing a red shirt.  Here's what's said (thanks to @rtoufic)
Woman - We will purify Qusayr from the Lebansee HezboLLATE (Devil's party) and we won't let Qusayre be easily swallowed by Hassan NarsouLLATE (Supporter of the Devil). Those of them who want to be grieved by their mothers, and see their sons buried, and their wives widowed, or their parents grieved, those will be ... (unclear) by the land of Syria and those who want to accelerate the process will be ... (unclear) by the land of Qusayr. Indeed, men and women we took up arms only to tear apart your bodies.
Abu Sakkar - We will prevail or die.
Off camera - Takbir.
All - Allah Akbar.
It's interesting to note in Abu Sakkar's statement to the media he made a similar statement "Victory or Death".

It's not possible to verify the date this video was filmed, but it is possible verify the location as Aisha Square.  You'll note the lay out of the streets and buildings in the video match what's on the satellite map, in particular the location the the mosque's minaret on the northwest corner of the mosque.  The camera position is directly west of the clock-tower, pointing east.

Today an image has been circulating showing what's supposedly the position of videos published in the last couple of days from state media and opposition sources.


If this image is accurate it would point to the southern half of Qusayr being under government control, or at least contested.

Related posts

Friday, 17 May 2013

Abu Sakkar's Statement To The Media With Translation

It's been pretty much impossible to miss the coverage of Abu Sakkar, a Syrian opposition member filmed mutilating a corpse before chewing on an organ, and today he's put out a statement for the media


Thanks to @ghettonawari and @markantony_sy for the following translation
He is praying at first. Making supplications for different things (health, people, etc). From the outskirts of Homs we have Abu Sukkar:

- Do you have regret for what you have done, killing the Assad's shabeeh (militant)and mutilating his body?
-I am of one of the people of Syria, and the people of Syria are a part of the world. I am willing to face trial for my actions if Bashar and his thugs stand trial for their atrocities. My Message to the world, IF the blood in Syria doesn't stop, all of Syria will become like me.
- What motivated you to mutilate the shabeeh's body?
- Their cell phones contain videos showing how they raped women, killed kids, burned the bodies, cut off a man's arm while alive, tortured another man then slaughtering him. Every free Syrian won't b able to control himself while watching these atrocities.
-Will you stop fighting after the outrage at your last video?
- I will fight to the death, Victory or Death.
Alleged Shabiha Tried And Executed In Aleppo
Zaino Berri, Shabiha Leader, Captured And Executed

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

Sunday, 12 May 2013

Video Shows A Member Of The Syrian Opposition Cutting Flesh Of A Corpse, And Apparently Eating It

Frequently during the Syrian conflict there's been videos that claim to show either side committing some sort of war crimes or atrocity.  As a general rule I avoid writing about these videos because there's always claims about fakery, a lack of detail beyond what's shown in the video, and so on.

However, a video has been posted today on pro-Assad channels which presents a rare occasion where it's possible gather much more information about the person involved.

The following video shows a man cutting a chuck of flesh, possible an organ, from a corpse, then biting down onto the chunk of flesh at the end of the video (GRAPHIC)


I've had the audio translated (thanks to @Syrian_scenes), rather than relying on the subtitles attached to the video
I swear by God, we will eat your hearts and your livers, you soldiers of Bashar the dog! Takbeer! Heroes of Baba 'Amr, [inaudible] cut out their hearts to eat them!
As I said before, generally I can't do much with these videos, but in this example I instantly recognised the man wearing that distinctive jacket as appearing in other videos produced by the Independent Omar Farouk Brigades, based around Homs


In the first video he gives a short speech, which I've translated, and also allows us to match the voices in both videos to the same person
In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate: The Umar al-Faruq Battalion is striking the strongholds of the Shabbiha and the Assadist Army in the village of Abel. Takbeer!
Peter N. Bouckaert of Human Rights Watch has been able to confirm the name of the man in the videos as Abu Sakkar of Baba Amro, Homs, also known as Khaled Al Hamad, a former senior figure in Al Farouq Brigade.

It's unclear how the Independent Omar Farouk Brigades is related to the Free Syrian Army, whether or not it works inside the command structure (as it is), or considers itself independent, but it does raise the question that when people are identified in videos like this what can anyone actually do about it during the conflict?

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

Saturday, 27 April 2013

More Details Of Air-To-Air Missiles Used As Surface-To-Surface Missiles

Yesterday I wrote about K-13 series air-to-air missiles being used as surface-to-surface missiles, and today we now have a new video that provides more information about the way in which they are being used (thanks to Mads Dahl)


Unlike the previous video, this new video contains much clearer shots of the missiles, and how they are being used.  One thing that stands out for me is the item at the bottom of this frame


In the previous video it was clear the seeker at the end of the missile had been removed, which led me to question how the missile was being detonated when it reached it's target.  What I believe we have here is the answer to that question, a DIY impact fuze, which can be seen on the rocket just before the launch



It's still questionable how useful these rockets are, as they don't have a particularly large payload, and are almost certainly going to be inaccurate when used this way.  However, I don't imagine they would be much less powerful or accurate than the DIY rockets the opposition are using (if not more), so they aren't exactly out of place in the opposition arsenal, and this is another example of them using what is at hand to fight the conflict, even if it requires a bit of modification.


Related Articles
Video Footage Of Air-To-Air Missiles Being Used As Surface-To-Surface Missiles In Syria
DIY Weapons In Syria - The Mobile Mortar Battery
Unexploded Cluster Bomblets Repurposed As DIY Rocket Warheads
Unexploded Bombs Used In A Truck Bomb By Jabhat al-Nusra
Clear Evidence Of DIY Barrel Bombs Being Used By The Syrian Air Force

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

Friday, 26 April 2013

Video Footage Of Air-To-Air Missiles Being Used As Surface-To-Surface Missiles In Syria

This rather remarkable video filmed near Qatinah, Homs, sent to me by Mads Dahl, shows a unique example of an air-to-air missile being used as a surface-to-surface missile


In the video we see a K-13 variant missile, a Soviet copy of the US Sidewinder missile, being prepared for ground launch, without the seeker and guidance sections at the end of the missile.  Here's an example of one of the variants


And an example without the seeker and guidance sections attached

Thanks to Cat-UXO
The location of the launch is interesting, as it appears to be near Dabaa air-base, which recently was at least partly overrun, with large amounts of equipment captured, including the same type of missile shown in the video.  It would seem that the opposition fighters in that area have decided to make the most of these missiles, which are designed for air-to-air combat, by building a DIY launcher to fire them.  As you can imagine, they've pretty no way to aim these, or is it certain the warheads will detonate correctly, so whether this is a one off experiment or something they'll use more regularly is unclear at the moment.

Thanks to Nic Jenzen-Jones, Ronald Elzenga, Oryx, and David Cenciotti for help with this post.


Related Articles
More Details Of Air-To-Air Missiles Used As Surface-To-Surface Missiles
DIY Weapons In Syria - The Mobile Mortar Battery
Unexploded Cluster Bomblets Repurposed As DIY Rocket Warheads
Unexploded Bombs Used In A Truck Bomb By Jabhat al-Nusra
Clear Evidence Of DIY Barrel Bombs Being Used By The Syrian Air Force
The Mystery Of The Syrian Barrel Bombs

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

Tuesday, 23 April 2013

More Evidence Of Larger Cluster Bombs Being Deployed In Syria

Last month I wrote about a new type of cluster bomblet filmed in Syria, a Soviet ShOAB-0.5, and I suggested the likely delivery system was the RBK-500 series cluster bomb, a much larger cluster bomb than had been previously used in the conflict.  This new video from Dar el-Kebir, Homs, seems to confirm that RBK-500 cluster bombs loaded with ShOAB-0.5 bomblets are now being used in the conflict


There's two sets of markings that provide additional information.  Here's the manufacturing details, which tells us this was made in 1983


And next details of the container type, RBK-500, and bomblet type, ShOAB-0.5


So this is evidence of yet another escalation in the types of munitions used in the conflict, although considering how much evidence cluster bombs leave behind after their use it seems this particular type of cluster bomb has been used very rarely, especially when you consider there's now over 500 videos of cluster bomb use in Syria.


Related Articles
Unexploded Cluster Bomblets Repurposed As DIY Mortar Bombs
Evidence Of New, Larger Cluster Bombs Being Used In Syria
Disposing Of Unexploded Cluster Bomblets, Jabhat al-Nusra Style
Clear Evidence Of DIY Barrel Bombs Being Used By The Syrian Air Force
Cluster Bomb Usage Rises Significantly Across Syria
Collected ODAB Thermobaric Bomb Evidence

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