Study gives insights into ISIS acquisition of arms, money

Amira al-Sharif

Conflict Armament Research, a UK-based investigative organization that tracks the supply of conventional weapons, ammunition, and related military materiel into conflict-affected areas, revealed recently that the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) had enlisted fake companies to make financial transfers.

It added that the transfers aimed at enabling the terrorist organization to purchase arms from around the world.

ISIS benefited from a major supply network that included 50 companies in more than 20 countries with the aim of obtaining materials used in arms manufacturing, Conflict Armament Research said.

It added that these materials helped ISIS hold on despite the war launched by a United States-led coalition against it.

The international news agency Agence France-Presse threw light, meanwhile, on the success of ISIS in overrunning large swaths of land in Iraq and Syria between 2014 and 2019.

It said the terrorist organization succeeded in doing this by purchasing hundreds of tons of explosive materials, electronic equipment and drones in a secret manner.

The agency added that ISIS bought 6 tons of aluminum putty and 78 tons of fuel used in the making of grenades. It said ISIS used a Turkish agricultural goods distributor in buying these grenades.

Between 2015 and 2017, about 100 packs of aluminum putty manufactured in China were found in areas previously controlled by ISIS, the agency said.

It added that ISIS especially depended on individuals and family companies in carrying out business transactions.

ISIS also converted around 28 drones in a way that allows them to carry arms, the agency added.