Islamic State Jihadists Most Often Target Civilians and use Explosives

The battle for the last Islamic State (ISIS) stronghold in Iraq has been on for a week. On Tuesday the Global Coalition to Counter ISIS holds a meeting in Paris to discuss the offensive to seize back the northern Iraqi city of Mosul after two years of control by ISIS. The meeting is co-hosted by U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter. Other attendees include delegations from France, Australia, Germany, and the UK.

All the while, a broad coalition of Iraqi security personnel, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, Sunni Arab tribesmen, and Shia paramilitary forces are engaging the jihadi fighters on the ground. They face an enemy that isn’t all that good at fighting set battles, but specializes in asymmetrical warfare. According to the START Background Report most of ISIS’ targets are non-combatants, while the jihadists most often use explosives to hit their targets.