In a worrying trend, an increasing number of armed drone strikes have been conducted by Islamic State (ISIS) in northern Iraq after it formally announced its new "Unmanned Aircraft of the Mujahideen" unit last month.
According to a Washington Post report, ISIS claimed that the unit has a fleet of unmanned drones equipped with bombs that had killed or injured many soldiers already.
The drones are about six feet wide with swept wings and are armed with a small bomb placed in its fuselage.
While the claims about casualties might be an exaggeration, US officials have acknowledged the existence of the drone fleet and were quoted to have said that the group is increasingly using technology to kill enemies.
Even though the drones cannot match the potential and ability of arms used by the US Military, the US and Iraqi forces have found enough reason to alert their troops on the frontlines.
While the drones cannot handle heavy bombs and rockets, they can carry small bombs which have an effective blast radius of 30-45 feet and can kill or injure dozens of people if dropped in a crowded area.
"Although dangerous, and effective as a propaganda tactic, it has limited operational effect on the battlefield and will not change the outcome," Air Force Col. John L. Dorrian, spokesman for the US-led coalition opposing the Islamic State, was quoted as saying.
The officials also were quoted saying that the strategy would not affect the government's plans to recapture Mosul, which was taken over by ISIS in 2014.
However, the move has forced the coalition troops to take extra precautionary measures against drones, such as early-detection systems and electronic jamming. The forces have also intensified the search to find the factories where the drones are being modified for attacks.
