Shock troops who fight to death
IS group’s special forces infiltrate targets and unleash mayhem
BAGHDAD: Bearded and wearing bright blue bandanas, the Islamic State group’s “special forces” unit gathered around their commander just before they attacked the central Syrian town of al-Sukhna. “Victory or martyrdom,” they screamed, pledging their allegiance to God and vowing never to retreat.
“Inghemasiyoun”, the IS calls them, Arabic for “those who immerse themselves”.
The elite shock troops are possibly the deadliest weapon in the extremist group’s arsenal: Fanatical and disciplined, they infiltrate their targets, unleash mayhem and fight to the death, wearing explosives belts to blow themselves up among their opponents if they face defeat.
They are credited with many of the group’s stunning battlefield successes, including the capture of al-Sukhna in May after the scene shown in an online video released by the group.
Though best known for its horrific brutalities – from its grotesque killings of captives to enslavement of women – the Islamic State group has proved to be a highly organised and flexible fighting force, according to senior Iraqi military and intelligence officials and Syrian Kurdish commanders.
Andreas Krieg, a professor at King’s College London who embedded with Iraqi Kurdish fighters last fall, said IS local commanders are given leeway to operate as they see fit.
The group “is very much success oriented, results oriented”.
That’s a strong contrast to the rigid, inefficient and corrupt hierarchies of the Iraqi and Syrian militaries, where officers often fear taking any action without direct approval from higher up.
IS fighters are highly disciplined – swift execution is the punishment for deserting battle or falling asleep on guard duty, Iraqi officers said.
The group is also flush with weaponry looted from Iraqi forces that fled its blitzkrieg a year ago, when IS overtook the northern city of Mosul and other areas.
Much of the heavy weapons it holds – including artillery and tanks – have hardly been used, apparently on reserve for a future battle.
Iraqi army Lt-Gen Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi said IS stands out in its ability to conduct multiple battles simultaneously.
“In the Iraqi army, we can only run one big battle at a time,” said al-Saadi, who was wounded twice in the past year as he led forces that retook the key cities of Beiji and Tikrit from IS.
Even the group’s atrocities are in part a tactic, aimed at terrorising its enemies and depicting itself as an unstoppable juggernaut.
The number of IS fighters in Iraq and Syria is estimated between 30,000 and 60,000, according to the Iraqi officers.
Former army officers of ousted Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein have helped the group organise its fighters, a diverse mix from Europe, the United States and Arab and Central Asian nations.
Veteran fighters with combat experience in Afghanistan, Chechnya or Somalia have also brought valuable experience, both in planning and as role models to younger fighters.
“They tend to use their foreign fighters as suicide bombers,” said Patrick Skinner, a former CIA officer who now directs special operations for The Soufan Group, a private geopolitical risk assessment company.
“People go to the Islamic State looking to die, and the Islamic State is happy to help them.”
But IS has its vulnerabilities, noted Skinner.
It has no air force. And its open, state-like organisation gives an opportunity for spies to infiltrate, something the group clearly fears given the many killings of people it suspects of espionage.
It also faces internal strains, trying to control and direct its multi-national personnel.
“We think of them as this spooky faceless organisation that runs seamlessly,” Skinner said.
“I imagine it’s probably the hardest organisation to run, because it’s staffed with unstable, violent people.” — AP