BAGHDAD — The U.S. military has identified an advanced variant of a Soviet-origin rocket-propelled
grenade system being used by Iraqi insurgents since early this year.
Officials said the military has detected shipments of the RPG-29 in
Iraq. They said the weapon system has been smuggled from Syria into Iraq by
operatives of the Iranian-sponsored Hizbullah.
"This is the most advanced RPG that the insurgents have," an official
said. "The [RPG-] 29 can rip through just about any armored platform."
[On Tuesday, 17 people were killed in a suicide truck bombing in Tal
Afar, Middle East Newsline reported. The bombing took place as U.S. and Iraqi officials released a
purported Al Qaida document that reported a weakening of the insurgency
movement in Iraq. On Wednesday another 11 people were killed in an ambush of
a bus north of Baghdad.]
Officials said the RPG-29 was first spotted in Iraq in early 2006. They
said the weapon was used by Hizbullah against the Israeli Army in the late
1990s. The United States has been briefed by Israel on the RPG.
The RPG-29 was said to comprise the most lethal RPG system produced by
Russia. Officials said the weapon contains dual-charge, the first of which
neutralizes reactive armor and the second which penetrates the targeted
vehicle.
The Iranian weapon could have been used by Sunni insurgents in the
downing of a British Army Super Lynx combat helicopter in Basra over the
weekend. Officials said the army was also examining the possibility that the
helicopter was struck by a surface-to-air missile provided by Iran.
