ISIS has apparently traded in its fleet of Toyota trucks in favor of Kia and Hyundai compacts.
Based on various videos from ISIS propagandists and Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), vehicles from South Korean car manufacturers Kia Motors and Hyundai have been spotted with greater frequency in Mosul, the second-largest city in Iraq and one of ISIS’ remaining bastions.
Kia and Hyundai sport-utility vehicles that range from 2010-2015 model years were seen with additional metal plating crudely welded on as armor. Based on the lack of armor on the quarter-panels and the rear, evidence suggests that the vehicles have been used as vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs) in suicide attacks.
The insurgents also made several aesthetic modifications in order to blend with civilian traffic. Painting armored areas of their SUVs to depict windows and wheels, it appeared that ISIS forces had taken the extra step to mask the true nature of their vehicles.
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