The Islamic State Of Iraq And Al-Sham Executes Three Men In Raqqa In Retaliation For The Banias Massacre

The following videos were posted online today from the city of Raqqa, which has been under the control of Jihadist Syrian opposition groups for the past several weeks (Graphic)

The videos show the execution of three men described as Assad army officers, knelt in the middle of a public square, in front of a the Islamic black standard used by the Islamic State of Iraq.  A speech is given to the gathered crowd, stating the execution is in retaliation for the massacres of Sunnis in Banias, Homs, and other areas, and singles out Assadists and Alawites in particular. The full speech translated into English can be read here.

But what's even more alarming about this video is the statement isn't made in the name of Jabhat al-Nusra, Ahrar al-Sham, or any other well known Jihadists groups in Syria like you might expect, but The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham.

The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham is Jihadist group announced by the leader of the The Islamic State of Iraq, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, made up of the al-Qaeda tied Islamic State of Iraq, and Jabhat al-Nusra, reported here:

Al-Qaeda in Iraq – released a recorded audio message by its leader, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, in which he announced that the Syria jihadi group Jabhat Al-Nusra (JN) has been merely an extension of ISI in Syria. Al-Baghdadi confirms that Jabhat Al-Nusra has been receiving monthly funds from ISI. In this vein, Al-Baghdadi announces that the names ISI and JN are not to be used anymore; instead, he declares the official merging of the two groups under the name "Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham."

Although videos have been posted from groups claiming to be part of The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham as far as I'm aware this is the first time that a statement like this has been made by The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham inside Syria.  It seems to be a very significant event, almost a coming out party for the organisation in Syria, and executing three men for alleged crimes they had no direct hand in seems to be making a statement of intent.

Thanks to @ElSaltador and @felimmcmahon for help with this post.

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Scud-B Missile Remains Filmed Near Raqqa

The following video has been posted by activists in the city of Raqqa, showing the remains of a badly damaged missile (thanks to Mads Dahl)

Fortunately there's enough of the missile to come up with an ID, most of which comes from the tail end.  First take a look at the following features on the video and two reference images of a Scud-B missile engine

 On the second item note the protruding feature on the outer edge

Also compare the details I've highlighted on the tail fin in the video with the two reference images

It's also worth noting the ridge filmed on one side of the missile, which is also a feature of Scud-B missiles

While this is strong evidence that the remains belong to a Scud-B missile it's harder to be sure if it's actually been fired, especially as there's been evidence of an apparently abandoned Scud-B missile in the Deir Ez Zor region.  There appears to be very little evidence of impact, although there only appears to be part of the missile in the area, so the initial impact may have occurred elsewhere, and judging by the dark marks on the ground it's likely the wreckage was burning at some point.


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A New Scud-Type Warhead Appears Across Syria

On February 26th of this year the following video from Aleppo was posted on Youtube

What this appears to be is a cargo warhead for a large rocket or missile, designed to carry a payload such as cluster bomblets.  Since then the same type of warhead has appeared at a number of locations across Syria, with the following video being a clear example from Aahal, Mayadeen, Deir Ez Zor

Other examples have appeared elsewhere in Deir Ez Zor, including the recently captured city of Raqqa on March 26th.

The problem is, I cannot pin down the exact type of warhead this is, or the system it's used on.  Some people have suggested it might be from a 9K79 Tochka/OTR-21 tactical ballistic missile, which can use a cargo warhead, but I've been unable to find solid evidence to support that.  I'm certain this is from a large surface-to-surface missile or rocket, and almost 100% sure it's a cargo warhead, but frustratingly I've been unable to find a perfect match.  If anyone has a good idea of what this is (or even better, reference images), please feel free to comment below or send me an email.


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