More than 20 jihadist, Islamist and other rebel organizations took part in the offensive to break the siege of Aleppo. It was likely one of the largest combined efforts in the history of the Syrian war.
Al Nusrah Front, al Qaeda’s official branch in Syria, raided the 13th Division’s headquarters and seized its weapons. The 13th Division, which has received US-made TOW missiles, has long coexisted with the jihadists in northwestern Syria. But that all changed in the past 48 hours as al Qaeda’s men stormed its locations.
If confirmed, the Turkistan Islamic Party is not the only jihadist group to have used the US-made anti-tank missiles. The Islamic State, Al Nusrah Front, and the Caucasus Emirate in Syria have all released propaganda showing its forces using the TOW missiles.
The Islamic State again shows the use of the US anti-tank missile system, after previously doing so near Palmyra and Damascus. Other jihadist groups, including al Qaeda, have also publicized the use of TOWs in the past.
The jihadist group, which has published pictures of BGM-71 anti-tank missiles before, again shows the usage of these weapons at Palmyra. Many of these systems have been employed by jihadist groups or have been used to assist jihadist groups.
The Al Nusrah Front, al Qaeda’s official branch in Syria, has released another video showing its fighters using American-made TOW missiles in the battle for the city of Idlib.