The Hindu : International : Iraqi militants develop deadly explosives

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Friday, Jun 24, 2005

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International

Iraqi militants develop deadly explosives

Rory Carroll

New bombs can penetrate heavily armoured vehicles

BAGHDAD: Militants in Iraq have reached a new level of military sophistication by developing a bomb which penetrates heavily armoured vehicles, U.S. commanders have admitted.

Recent roadside bombs have used a ``shaped'' charge which concentrates the blast, devastating some of the most heavily protected Humvees. Insurgents have also developed a way to detonate bombs with infrared lasers rather than mobile phones, which can be jammed. The refinements have fuelled a surge in U.S. casualties, with roadside bombs alone responsible for at least 68 deaths since May, the highest toll over a two-month period since the guerrilla war began two years ago.

A shaped charge was believed responsible for last week's attack in Ramadi, which was so powerful it melted a Humvee and showered the remains of five marines onto rooftops.

The Pentagon warned on Tuesday that their foe would grow more sophisticated and lethal. More than 200 U.S. military engineers blew up vehicles in the Californian desert last week in an attempt to devise counter-measures. The rebels draw on vast stocks of artillery shells taken from army depots after Saddam's fall.

— © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004

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