A video posted last month and shot on the outskirts of Mosul purportedly by the Islamic State, shows the insurgent group targeting and destroying an Iraqi driven U.S.-made M1 Abrams main battle tank with an unknown type of ATGM. (TWP)The Iraqi march up to Mosul has been a weeks-long slog of Islamic State sniper fire, roadside bombs and suicide attacks. The tank in the video is probably an export version of the Abrams tailored specifically for Iraqi forces. The tank immediately bursts into flames as the tank rounds inside explode, known as “cooking off,” according to a Marine Abrams tank commander who had viewed the video. While the strike looks catastrophic for the four-man crew inside, the tank is designed to mitigate such a strike.

Source: Washington Post November 03, 2016 18:25 UTC