Open source research on SVBIEDs
Note: This article was written in the latter half of 2021, and has NOT been factually updated since then. I am publishing it in its original state, without edits. The use of suicide car bombs, or Suicide Vehicle-Borne IEDs (SVBIEDs) by non-state actors has evolved substantially over the past decade. The SVBIED, which was previously synonymous with [ ] The post The Strategic Logic of SVBIEDs – Part…
This is the first guest post on my website, written by the knowledgeable Calibre Obscura. As this topic revolves around IS use of SVBIEDs in Libya, my previous in-depth article on the topic is a good primer. Late in the day on June 6th 2021, a local police facility on the edge of the town [ ] The post An Explosive Renewal of the Islamic State in Libya? (Guest Post) appeared first on Hugo Kaaman .
In the afternoon of June 15, 2021, a car bomb detonated inside the premises of the Colombian army s 30th Brigade headquarters, located on the Southeastern outskirts of Cúcuta, a Northern city close to the country s border with Venezuela. The blast, which injured dozens – including two US soldiers – is hotly debated. While the government assert [ ] The post Conspiracy? – VBIED Detonates Inside…
First of all, I would like to thank a number of people who assisted me with information, translations, geolocations, and footage for this article. These people include, among others; E_Of_Justice, John Marquee, Suheil al-Ghazi, Samir, Qalaat Al Mudiq, Danspiun, Jakub Janovsky, and Riseuprebel. This is the first of a two part series covering the SVBIEDs used during [ ] The post The SVBIEDs Of The…
Ever since the conflicts in Syria and Iraq progressed toward semi-conventional fighting in 2013-2014, up-armoured suicide car bombs, or Suicide Vehicle-Borne IEDs (SVBIEDs) have been a recurring feature of the battlefields. Lacking air superiority, non-state actors in both countries have resorted to using these weapons as a form of poor man s air force in open [ ] The post Triumph & Symbolism –…
This article covers the 2015 Idlib offensive extensively, with some background. If you re interested in a broader view of how Jabhat al-Nusra s (now Hayat Tahrir al-Sham/HTS) use of SVBIEDs has changed over time as part of different phases up until the 2019-2020 Greater Idlib offensive, read my case study for the Middle East Institute. The [ ] The post The Last Victory – The SVBIEDs of the 2015…
Following the rise of the Islamic State (IS), directors around the world have sought to capture this multi-faceted phenomenon on the big screen. Movies and TV shows have covered IS in different ways, with stories ranging from the qualms of IS foreign fighters to the grinding counter-IS fight undertaken by local actors across Syria in [ ] The post Cinematic Depictions of Up-Armoured SVBIEDs: A…
In the process of capturing a piece of territory that at its height was larger than the UK, the Islamic State (IS) was able to capture large quantities of armoured vehicles from its opponents. While many of these vehicles (primarily those of Soviet origin) were reinserted into their stated combat roles, these stints were often [ ] The post Transplanted Armour: The Franken-SVBIEDs of the Islamic…
Two days ago I published my most extensive work of 2020 so far with the Middle East Institute, titled Shifting Gears: HTS s Evolving Use of SVBIEDs During the Idlib Offensive of 2019-2020 . This case study initially covers the group s use of SVBIEDs since the beginning of the Syrian civil war and how its use can [ ] The post Shifting Gears: HTS’s Evolving Use of SVBIEDs During the Idlib Offensive…
Background On August 5, 2013, two suicide bombers belonging to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) detonated their vehicles inside Menagh Airbase in the Northern Aleppo countryside. By the next day, the remaining loyalist holdout located in and around the base command centre had been overrun, ending the year-long siege of the base. [ ] The post The Unique SVBIEDs Used in the 2013 Capture…