US-led warplanes are going after ISIS' most devastating weapon
The strikes destroyed an ISIS facility near Makhmur, Iraq, that was used to produce vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs). These car bombs are one of the main weapons that ISIS uses to devastating effect across both Iraq and Syria.
"These strikes, conducted in coordination with the Government of Iraq, will help reduce the ability of Daesh to utilize their weapon of choice - VBIEDs," US Brig. Gen. Kevin Killea said in a statement, using the Arabic acronym for ISIS. "Daesh VBIEDs are responsible for many attacks against Iraqi Security Forces and atrocities committed against Iraqi civilians."
ISIS VBIEDs are advanced enough to produce even macabre amazement in their potential victims. One Baghdad policeman told Der Spiegel that these car bombs "were so sophisticated that they destroyed everything; there was nothing left of the car and nothing to investigate how the explosive charge was assembled."
Aside from smaller car bombs, ISIS has also perfected the use of multi-ton truck and Humvee bombs as military weapons. Among the group's favorite tactics are filling stolen armored US Humvees to decimate static defenses of the Iraqi Security Forces.