5 bomb hiding tricks of rebels to deal with the US

Militants in the Middle East often camouflage explosives to deceive and cause heavy casualties to American soldiers on the battlefield.

US mine-resistant vehicle overturned by IED planted on the roadside.

Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are one of the biggest threats to U.S. and allied troops deployed to war zones like the Middle East. Insurgents have the advantage of knowing the terrain and hiding places, and have found many ways to hide explosives to attack U.S. units, according to WATM.

Buried underground

This is the most common way to disguise an IED because it can be done quickly. Such devices can lie underground for years before being detonated. The US-led coalition often uses metal detectors to locate them, then deploys mine-clearing machines to detonate them, but this solution is not always effective.

The process of burying an IED underground often leaves telltale signs such as disturbed ground, or irregularly placed rocks to mark the location of the explosive device.

Car bomb

Known as vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs) and suicide-bomb variants (SVBIEDs), these weapons can cause serious damage because they contain much larger explosives than roadside IEDs.

Tanks rammed through Iraqi insurgents' VBIED.

Insurgents can disguise a VBIED as a broken-down car parked on the side of the road, following US patrol routes. It will be detonated when the target gets close. Meanwhile, SVBIEDs are often used by the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) to proactively attack coalition bases or checkpoints. This type of vehicle destroyed many Iraqi government armored vehicles during the campaign in Mosul.

Hidden in animal carcasses

Rebels may hide IEDs in animal carcasses to fool US soldiers. Photo: WATM.

Roadside animal carcasses are also an effective way to disguise explosives. American soldiers rarely notice them, since animal carcasses are not uncommon on the road. The larger the animal, the more storage space it has, but it is also more conspicuous.

Hanging on a tree

Infantrymen often crouch to look for buried IEDs. Many insurgent groups have learned this habit by hanging IEDs from tree trunks to kill machine gunners in Humvees, who are often partially or fully exposed. Many Humvees are not equipped with full-body protection for gunners, forcing them to rely on their eyes and intuition to avoid IEDs when passing through suspicious areas.

Children

American soldiers often carried cloth bags to dispose of empty ammunition boxes and other items, especially when there was no time to put them in their original containers. These bags were usually worn on the side and had a wide opening for easy access.

A bag containing empty ammunition boxes commonly used by US soldiers. Photo: WATM.

Insurgents can train child soldiers, teaching them to pretend to approach a patrol, then suddenly put a defused grenade or remote-controlled explosive in the bag. If not paying attention, the American soldier will surely be killed or seriously injured by the explosion close to the hip. However, this method is rarely used by insurgents because of its poor effectiveness.

According to VNE