Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) propaganda medium on Sunday shared pictures of a Nigerian Army FV103 Spartan tracked armoured personnel carrier it captured in Gorgi, a town in Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State.
Two insurgents wearing black balaclava and fatigue likely mimicking Army Special Forces units known to also use black combat fatigues were shown standing on the FV103 and holding a PKM machine gun and a rocket-propelled grenade launcher.
Nigerian Army FV103 vehicles appear to have been recently refurbished for the new operation launched against ISWAP in Alagarno Forest area.
A fabricated turret to protect the gunner was visible on the captured vehicle.
FV103 Spartan is a tracked armoured personnel carrier, developed as a variant of the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance family capable of moving combat-ready infantry under protection.
The vehicle’s troop compartment at the rear sits at least four personnel with space for personal equipment and ammonium boxes.
Over the past few months, insurgents either burn or cannibalise armoured vehicles for manufacturing of bomb-laden vehicles.
HumAngle understands this is because armoured vehicles are heavily and easily identified by Nigerian Air Force Intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft and subsequently targeted for strikes by fighter jets or helicopter gunships.
Calibre Obscura, an arms researcher, in a tweet on the incident, #Gorigi #Borno: ISIS WA pics of a captured NA armoured vehicle (Seems to be based on a FV103 Spartan APC chassis, but repaired/modded) after an ambush.
“Note (new?) black uniforms, plus fighters with a potent Bulgarian RTB-7MA thermobaric projectile. Plus PK/M, PG-7VM/S and AK,” he added.
The FV103 Armoured personnel carriers were part of the military procurement made by Nigeria from Britain in the 1980s.
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