ISIS may have pilots capable of flying captured fighter jets. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), an organization that monitors the progression and events of the Islamic State, reported that the extremist group has flown three Russian MiG planes.
The group is based in London, but is credited with reliable sources in Syria. SOHR has stated that Iraqi pilots who once served under Saddam Hussein have joined the ranks of the Islamic State and have trained militants to pilot military grade aircraft.
SOHR claims to have witness accounts of MiG 21 or MiG 23 jets taking off and landing near the city of Aleppo.
Despite the reports from SOHR and various citations of the reports, there has yet to be any confirmations of the reports. The Islamic State has captured military equipment throughout their conquest of bases in Iraq and Syria, but whether operational planes are in there arsenal is unclear.
Some believe that aerial capability would allow ISIS to make suicide bombings in key areas in Iraq and Syria. Afzal Ashraf, a former Royal Air Force pilot, told The Guardian that the Iraqi pilots would not be able to effectively train pilots to use advanced fighter jets.
“There is a small chance but not a big chance … Flying is a very perishable skill … You have to be able to fly and to take off and to navigate. If you do not know what you are doing, you are likely to stall it,” he said.
U.S military officials could not confirm the viability of ISIS flight capabilities. “We're not aware of ISIL conducting any flight operations in Syria or elsewhere,” said Colonel Patrick Ryder.
“We continue to keep a close eye on (Islamic State) activity in Syria and Iraq and will continue to conduct strikes against their equipment, facilities, fighters and centers of gravity, wherever they may be,” he said.
