ISIS has anywhere from 30,000 to 100,000 fighters and is one of the
world's most dangerous terroristgroups.
But how did a group barely anyone knew of just a few years ago take over vast territories in Iraq and Syria and carry out terror attacks in Egypt and France?
Guns — lots of them. And how they got them is a murky tale of failed Soviet states, Middle Eastern gun culture, arms smuggling, and battlefield success.
There are a lot of weapons in the Middle East. And with an estimated $18 billion in arms sales slated for Arab states in 2015 alone, there are a lot more coming in.
Members of Saudi special forces stand guard during a training session in Darma.
In some countries, such as Yemen and Iraq, civilian gun ownership is at high levels — as guns are passed down in families or bought on the open market.
Iraqi Army soldiers load a truck carrying weapons seized by Iraqi security forces during recent security operations in Baghdad's Abu Ghraib suburb, Iraq.
original article source: insider
original article source: insider
