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On October 31, 2022, a pro-HTS (Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham) Telegram channel published an interview with Abu Muhammad Al-Shami, a "military commander" in HTS, about the use of car bombs in military operations.[1]
Al-Shami noted that in recent years, HTS has employed dozens of car bombs, which are effective "strategic weapons," especially to penetrate highly fortified areas that are difficult to access without deploying significant manpower, or when the enemy blocks roads with barricades, mines or live fire. He claimed that in the "last campaign," 32 car bombs were used, 30 of which were detonated on target, while two were targeted on the road by the enemy. The death toll of each operation ranged between 12 and 70, which Al-Shami described as an "excellent result."
He went on to explain that car bombs can disrupt enemy ranks or support operations, and can destabilize the enemy quickly and significantly. In addition, they can be used to break a siege, when operatives are surrounded and cannot otherwise come out.
The HTS commander added that HTS is attempting to develop remote-detonation car bombs, but that these capabilities still face technical issues, such as signal strength and interference. He explained that the group usually parks car bombs near their target and detonates them only after the driver leaves the site of the attack, but this is not always feasible.
Further, Al-Shami emphasized that HTS tries to preserve the lives of its own fighters during strikes on its enemies, and added that car bombs are still useful because HTS' enemies have fortified positions that cannot be attacked any other way. He further emphasized that car bombs are currently one of the most powerful weapons in the hands of HTS.
Al-Shami's explanations are in contradiction to an August 2022 report by a Syrian media outlet, according to which HTS retired its use of car bombs driven by "martyrdom-seekers" in order to tone down its image as a jihadi terrorist organization, and because car bombs had proven to be ineffective, as air surveillance forces of the Assad regime were able to detect and neutralize them.[2]
[1] Telegram, October 31, 2022.
[2] See MEMRI JTTM Report: Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) Releases Photoset Showing Top Military Commander With Group's Commando Units, August 17, 2022.
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