[Global Issue+] US Fills Middle East Void with 'Ninja Missiles'...Al-Qaeda Leader Eliminated

Eliminated with 'Ninja Missile' Featuring Blade at Warhead Tip
Used Six Times Since Development Under Obama Administration

[Image source=U.S. Air Force official website]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] As the United States plans to withdraw a large number of troops stationed in the Middle East, raising concerns about a security vacuum across the region, it has been reported that the U.S. military recently eliminated an Al-Qaeda official through a missile strike using drones. The attack reportedly employed the Hellfire missile, a new weapon often used for assassinations and nicknamed the "Ninja missile." Instead of a bomb, the warhead is equipped with blades, allowing it to eliminate moving vehicle targets while minimizing collateral damage. The U.S. appears to be proceeding with troop withdrawals in the Middle East despite security concerns by relying on such advanced weapons in its counterterrorism operations.

According to foreign media including The New York Times (NYT) on the 25th (local time), the U.S. military announced that it eliminated an Al-Qaeda official in Syria using the Hellfire missile known as the Ninja missile. Two weeks ago, the U.S. killed Sayf al-Tunsi, a senior member of Huras al-Din, an Al-Qaeda-affiliated group, near Idlib in northwestern Syria. Sayf, originally from Tunisia, was known to have planned terrorist attacks against the U.S. and other Western countries.

Idlib, where Sayf was killed, is known as one of the last strongholds of Islamist extremist terrorist groups. The population has grown to 3 million due to an influx of refugees from the Syrian civil war. According to the NYT, Al-Qaeda officials have been hiding in areas with high civilian activity within Idlib to avoid U.S. airstrikes. Consequently, the U.S. military used a modified weapon capable of precise strikes to eliminate the terrorists.

The official name of the Ninja missile used in this attack is the "Hellfire R9X" missile. Unlike conventional Hellfire missiles, its warhead is equipped with six blades instead of explosives. These blades are folded against the missile body immediately after launch from the drone but deploy seconds before impact to attack the surrounding area. This unique feature is why it is nicknamed the Ninja missile.

This weapon has seen increased use recently due to its advantage of minimizing civilian casualties caused by explosions. The U.S. military also used the Ninja missile in 2017 to eliminate Abu al-Khayr al-Masri, the son-in-law of Osama bin Laden. Earlier this year, in June, Khalid al-Aruri, the leader of Huras al-Din, was also eliminated by a Ninja missile strike. According to the U.S. military, this missile, developed during the Obama administration, has been used in about six combat operations so far.

The frequency of the U.S. military’s use of Ninja missiles is expected to increase significantly in the future. The U.S. government has previously announced plans to withdraw more than half of its troops from major deployment areas in the Middle East, including Iraq and Afghanistan. On the 10th, President Trump stated at a White House press conference, "In the near future, the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan will be reduced to about 4,000, and those in Iraq to about 2,000." The Department of Defense is also expected to implement this withdrawal plan soon. As the number of U.S. troops rapidly decreases, concerns about a security vacuum grow, accelerating counterterrorism operations against Al-Qaeda and IS remnants. Consequently, the actual use of Ninja missiles in combat is likely to increase further.