A new video posted by ISIS reportedly shows a team of suicide car bombers — including one smiling Brit — driving Mad Max-style death-mobiles towards an Iraqi army base, moments before blowing themselves up.
The footage, posted by the Islamic State’s Amaq News Agency, shows a British-born fighter named Abu Zakariya al-Britani grinning from ear to ear as he sits in one of the four car bombs used in a deadly attack near Mosul on Monday, Al-Masdar News reports.
Another fighter, who also looks happy as can be, can be seen cheerfully pointing to the camera and saying something in Arabic before he shuts the driver’s door and pulls off.
The vehicles that were used by the terrorists appeared to be SUVs of some sort, possibly Lexuses, which were decked out with armored plates and completely painted over. Al-Masdar reporter Chris Tomson tweeted out a portion of the ISIS video, showing three out of the four cars that were used.
Moments after driving off-screen, giant clouds of smoke can be seen in the distance — billowing into the air — after the presumed explosions.
A pair of army officers told the Associated Press that at least two of the jihadists managed to reach a base west of Mosul, where they detonated their explosives — killing and injuring a number of troops.
While it’s unclear exactly how many died, ISIS claimed in their official statement that there had been “many casualties,” according to the SITE Intelligence Group.
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“The martyrdom-seeking brother Abu Zakariya al-Britani — may Allah accept him — detonated his explosives-laden vehicle on a headquarters of the Rafidhi army and its militias in Tal Kisum village, southwest of Mosul,” the terror group said.
A third car bomber reportedly blew up before reaching the base.
The end of Abu Zakariya’s name — al-Britani — is commonly used by the Islamic State to identify fighters who are from Britain. It’s estimated that about 850 British citizens have fled the country and traveled to Syria or Iraq to join the terror group.
Iraqi forces have been waging war with ISIS fighters in Mosul since last October, when a massive US-led offensive was launched to recapture the terror stronghold.
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