Iraq conflict

Analysis: Iraq's Shia militias roll-out heavy rockets for Islamic State offensive

The Iraqi Shia militias who are leading the fight back against the Islamic State militant group appear to be making extensive use of improvised rocket artillery even though they benefit from Iranian support. Iran produces a wide range of artillery rockets and their associated launchers, most notably generic 107 mm and 122 mm systems, both of which are frequently seen in service with Iraq's Shia militias. On 16 March, the New York Times cited US officials as saying that Iran had deployed Fateh-110 tactical ballistic missiles and 333 mm Fajr-5 heavy artillery rockets - or slightly different versions - to Iraq and raised concerns that they would cause civilian casualties if used.