This article will focus on the weapons shown in the propaganda of Xhemati Alban in 2020. It is part of a four part series. The introduction and the first part can be found here and the second part here.
Xhemati Alban used two general types of precision rifles, small caliber sniper rifles which are heavily modified Mosin-Nagant series of rifles and a medium caliber craft made anti-material rifle (AMR). First we will look at the small caliber sniper rifles, and later at the AMR.
The group is known through previous propaganda releases to be a group which employs knowledgeable and good equipped snipers. They can be observed using dope charts, ballistic charts, Kestrel weather meters etc. all indicating knowledgeable snipers, more on this subject later. Some of the precision rifles they use they appear to modify themselves as a 2018 released video shows. They take as a base a stock 7.62×54R Mosin-Nagant M91/30, which they heavily modify. In their workshops, they produce custom rifle chassis which are reminiscent of chassis used by sport shooters.
They feature an adjustable cheek piece, some also an adjustable shoulder piece. Their barrels are free floating, which further improves accuracy. The barrels are replaced with PKM or PKT barrels. Some claim that the rebarreling of Mosin-Nagant series of rifles with a PK, PKM or PKT barrel can increase their accuracy up to 1 MOA, when using precision ammunition. The bolt and the action are modified, with some they just have their original bolt handle replaced with an angled (also known as “bent”) bolt handle, others are more extensively modified, where they move the bolt handle back close to the safety. For that to work, they also have to modify the receiver of the rifle so the action can be closed properly. Usually the rifles which feature the latter modification, had in the majority also their safety removed but that is not the case here, all rifles feature their original safety. To be able to mount an optic, a picatinny rail is added. Which is screwed or welded onto the receiver. Furthermore they modified at least one of the triggers of one of the rifles.
The ammunition they showcase them using Sellier & Bellot 7.62×54R of recent manufacture (the markings on some packages indicate a manufacture in 2016). This particular ammunition may have been part of weapons and ammunition bought by the US which have been supplied to the Syrian opposition under the Train and Equip program [18]. All of the Mosin Nagant rifles they have shown were suppressed. The suppressors used are of a pattern predominantly seen in Idlib and the surrounding provinces in north-western Syria (some did proliferate further inside of Syria). The suppressors are locally made, with the examples shown below possibly made by the group themselves, they showed the production of suppressors in the before mentioned 2018 released video. The same training site shown below here used, has also been used shown a few months later, after this photo set has been released, by the HTS sub-group Tavhid va Jihod (Tawhid wal-Jihad [Monotheism and Jihad]) [19].
Figure 1.1. Xhemati Alban sniper with a heavily modified suppressed Mosin-Nagant M91/30 fitted with a Harris pattern bipod and a Bushnell DMR 3.5-21x50mm scope, from mid-April 2020. (Source: Propaganda released by Xhemati Alban)
Figure 1.2. Xhemati Alban sniper with a heavily modified suppressed Mosin-Nagant M91/30 fitted with a Harris pattern bipod and a Bushnell scope, from mid-April 2020. Note the free-floating barrel. (Source: Propaganda released by Xhemati Alban)
Figure 1.3. Xhemati Alban sniper with a heavily modified suppressed Mosin-Nagant M91/30 fitted with a Harris pattern bipod and a Bushnell scope, from mid-April 2020. (Source: Propaganda released by Xhemati Alban)
Figure 1.4. Ammunition used by the Xhemati Alban snipers, its 7.62×54R FMJ made by Sellier & Bellot (S&B) in 2016 (as the markings on the package indicate), from mid-April 2020. The image has been flipped upside-down by the author. (Source: Propaganda released by Xhemati Alban)
Figure 1.5. The same before shown S&B 7.62×54R FMJ ammunition for sale in north-western Syria in mid-October 2020. (Source: ARES CONMAT)
Figure 1.6. Xhemati Alban snipers training on the range, from mid-April 2020. (Source: Propaganda released by Xhemati Alban)
Figure 1.7. Tavhid va Jihod snipers using the same range a few months after the photo-set above has been released, from mid-August 2020. (Source: Propaganda released by Tavhid va Jihod)
The above shown site could be geolocated (by @Krummapper on Twitter), it lies north of Idlib city, close to the village of Batitiyah. This site has been both used by Xhemati Alban and Tavhid va Jihod. The main material which can be seen below has been taken from the video released by Tavhid va Jihod, and some from the video released by Xhemati Alban. The site is specifically designed for the training of snipers, an indication for that is a wind direction indicator which can be spotted in front of the positions (under the end of the orange line). Interesting is one of the targets used, it is a T-55 tank turret, which appears to have previously burned indicating it was taken from a wreck of a tank of which there are many in Syria.
Figure 1.8. Geolocation of the sniper training site used by Xhemati Alban and Tavhid va Jihod. Several frames of the videos released have been aligned by the author which can be compared to images from Google Maps. (Source: Propaganda released by Xhemati Alban, Tavhid va Jihod; and Google Maps)
Figure 1.9. T-55 tank turret used as a target during the training of Xhemati Alban snipers, from mid-April 2020. (Source: Propaganda released by Xhemati Alban)
The anti-material rifle in use with Xhemati Alban is a locally craftmade single-shot AMR. The parts of that AMR were either locally made or sourced from a different weapon system. The barrel was taken from an heavy machine gun (HMG), either from an Chinese Type-54 (DShKM copy) HMG or an Chinese W85 HMG, both are chambered in 12.7×108mm. The grip is the other part taken from another different weapon, it is either a East German MPi-Km series grip or an Iranian KL-series grip, which are indistinguishable. The rest of the rifle has been locally craft made this includes the receiver, the bolt (it appears to be craft made, but may have incorporated parts from other weapons bolts), the stock which features an adjustable cheek-rest, an adjustable shoulder-pad, a monopod and can be folded; and a (probably picatinny) bipod adapter.
The rifle also has been fitted with a scope, which appears to be a Schmidt & Bender PM II style scope, a scope mount, a bipod and a locally made suppressor modeled after the Barret QDL suppressor. The scope is likely a Iranian or Chinese copy of the Schmidt & Bender PM II, which have been supplied along with Iranian AM-50 “Sayyad” rifles (these have been supplied to Iranian proxy forces fighting in Syria, and Syrian pro-Regime forces [SyAA, NDF] [20]). They have been captured in notable numbers by opposition forces. The ammunition used during the attack shown in the pictures below were 12.7×108mm BZT-44 (Armour-piercing Incendiary-Tracer). It is shown to be used at a HMG position of pro-Regime forces (probably located in Latakia) at a claimed distance of 1800m (1.1 Miles). Two shots are fired in the video released by the group, both hit the position and one may have hit the claimed HMG. The main use of AMRs by the opposition is not the used against structures but they are mainly employed against pro-Regime personnel.
Figure 1.10. Xhemati Alban sniper with a craft made AMR attacking a pro-Regime position, probably in Latakia, from mid-July 2020. (Source: Propaganda released by Xhemati Alban)
Figure 1.11. Xhemati Alban sniper with a craft made AMR observing a pro-Regime position, probably in Latakia, from mid-July 2020. (Source: Propaganda released by Xhemati Alban)
Figure 1.12. Xhemati Alban sniper with a craft made AMR probably in Latakia, using an unidentified app on his phone, from mid-July 2020. (Source: Propaganda released by Xhemati Alban)
Figure 1.13. Xhemati Alban sniper with a craft made AMR observing a pro-Regime position, probably in Latakia, from mid-July 2020. Note the position can be seen in the crosshair. (Source: Propaganda released by Xhemati Alban)
Figure 1.14. The claimed pro-Regime position with an claimed HMG (KPV), which is probably located in Latakia, from mid-July 2020. (Source: Propaganda released by Xhemati Alban)
Figure 1.15. A very similar locally craft made suppressor to the suppressor fitted to the craft made AMR for sale for $150 (USD) in Idlib in July 2020. (Source: CONMAT)
The snipers of Xhemati Alban, have shown that they are knowledgeable and skilled. They employ ballistic calculators, Kestrel weather meters, Angle / (unidentified) ballistic cards, DOPE cards etc. They also use spotters who have been shown to observe the target area, who provide data on the target area and communicate intelligence on targets. They are compared with propaganda released by other opposition groups more skilled and employ higher quality of technical equipment and tactics (e.g. spotters, rare with other groups). Although they employ the technical devices, tactics, intelligence, and appear to be proficient they have not yet shown publicly to effectively use their snipers in combat besides the above mentioned attack on the pro-Regime position in Latakia with the craft made AMR. Although they have been involved in the last years fighting (Kabani, Latakia; southeastern Idlib), they have not released propaganda of their sniper operations (besides the instances mentioned above) like other groups (Tavhid va Jihod, and Ansar al-Tawhid for example).
Figure 1.16. Xhemati Alban using the Strelok Pro ballistic calculator on an Android phone and a Kestrel 2500 weather meter, from mid-April 2020. (Source: Propaganda released by Xhemati Alban)
Figure 1.17. Xhemati Alban sniper using Angle / (unidentified) ballistic cards, from mid-April 2020. (Source: Propaganda released by Xhemati Alban)
References
[18] Angelovski, I. and Marzouk, L., 2017. The Pentagon’s $2.2 Billion Soviet Arms Pipeline Flooding Syria. [online] Balkan Insight. Available at: <https://balkaninsight.com/2017/09/12/the-pentagon-s-2-2-billion-soviet-arms-pipeline-flooding-syria-09-12-2017/>
[19] Analytism.substack.com. 2020. Analytism newsletter #2. [online] Available at: <https://analytism.substack.com/p/analytism-newsletter-2>
[20] Wright, G., 2015. Iranian RU-series thermal weapon sights in Syria – Armament Research Services. [online] Armamentresearch.com. Available at: <https://armamentresearch.com/iranian-ru-series-thermal-weapon-sights-in-syria/>
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