The spoils of Brigade 93, captured by the Islamic State

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

Boosted by the large quantities of weaponry and ammunition captured at Regiment 121 just more than a week ago, fighters of the Islamic State took overran another regime stronghold in Nothern Syria on the 7th of August 2014, Brigade 93. This base, part of Division 17, was home to around fifty tanks, seventeen howitzers, numerous anti-aircraft guns, countless trucks and various other armoured fighting vehicles. Although some of this equipment may have been distributed to other bases, most of it was still believed to have been present on the base during the attack.

BM-21s captured at Regiment 121 were used to attack Brigade 93 before the main assault begun, reportedly setting parts of it ablaze. The base was then attacked by three VBIEDs, clearing a path for Islamic State fighters storming the base. During the attack that followed around ninety fighters of the Islamic State are believed to have died along with around 300 regime soldiers and another hundred captured, which were subsequently executed. Only a few soldiers managed to evade initial capture by the Islamic State, with most of the fleeing personnel surrendering in the desert and subsequently executed as well.

Footage and images of the base show at least thirty T-55s, two BRDM-2s, ten 122mm D-30 howitzer and one 130mm M-46 field-gun captured by the fighters of the Islamic State, making the capture of Brigade 93 the largest heavy-arms haul of the Syrian Civil War so far.

Interestingly, the attackers employed a wide variety of armoured fighting vehicles, including at least one U.S. M-1114 captured in Iraq. A 122mm BM-21 multiple-rocket launcher, likely one of the examples captured at Regiment 121 can also be seen. The SyAAF would also pound the airbase during the assault, which is believed to have caused little damaged to the equipment littered on the base, which should have been a priority target.

The Islamic State also captured its first self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (SPAAG). Although originally designed to attack air targets, the four 23mm guns of the ZSU-23 are often used against ground targets.

The two remaining regime strongholds in Nothern Syria, Tabqa and Kweres airbase are obviously next on the list. Tabqa airbase is home to at least two squadrons operating MiG-21s and has provided most of the air support for regime forces located in the North of Syria. Kweres was the Syrian Arab Air Force's main training base before the revolution, housing three squadrons worth of MBB-SIAT 223K1 Flamingos, PAC MFI-17 Mushshaks and L-39s.

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The spoils of Regiment 121, captured by the Islamic State