Extremist militants fighting for the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (ISIS) are now using the US-made, anti-tank BGM-71 TOW missiles in their fight against Syrian Arab Army (SAA) in Aleppo’s eastern countryside.
Photos promulgated via social media networks show “Soldiers of the Caliphate” entrenching to the north of the recently liberated Kuweires air base to the north of Aleppo, and wielding TOW missiles.
The means by which the world-terror group has obtained such weapon is still unknown. However, the tube-launched, anti-tank TOW missiles have been extensively used by the Nusra-led Al-Fateh Army in their offensives against government troops and allied forces in Idlib province.
ISIS maintains diversified sources for arms supplies; most notably, seizing weapons and ammunitions from battles it won against Syrian, Iraqi armies as well as rival rebel groups.
Yet, the terror organization, which makes huge revenues from illegal oil trade, taxation and extortion, is financially capable of buying whatever weaponries it wants via the international black market.
In a similar context, it’s widely believed that ISIS shares ‘special’ ties’ with Turkey which not only provides access for foreign fighters and the stolen oil trucks, but also acts as the bloodline for the death cult.