ISIS Fighter Shot Dead By Sniper From 1.5 Miles Away Using Most Powerful Rifle
A sharpshooter of the Special Air Service (SAS) killed an Islamic State (ISIS) jihadi with a single bullet from 1.5 miles away using the world's most powerful rifle. The target was so far away, it took three whole seconds after the trigger was pulled before the bullet reached its mark.
The incident took place almost two weeks ago in Mosul where the SAS, Britain's equivalent to the U.S. Special Forces, have been deployed as part of an international coalition to help Iraqi forces to recapture the Old City. The long-range shot was said to be one of the trickiest "kills" in the history of the regiment.
The SAS sniper who made the difficult shot is a sergeant and a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The target, on the other hand, was also a marksman who had killed and wounded several soldiers. "The SAS team had him in their sights on several occasions but did not have the time to get a shot off," a source at the British army said.
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The shot was made possible with the use of the American CheyTac M200 Intervention gun, said to be the most accurate rifle ever made with a built-in computer that tells the shooter where to aim, factoring in humidity, heat and wind. It also holds the record for the longest shot with a working range of 3,000 meters.
That day, the SAS tracked the terrorist armed with a Russian Dragunov gun, moving between buildings on the outskirts of Mosul. "It was a classic counter-sniper operation. The ISIS gunman was moving all the time to get into the best position to get a kill," the source related.
The militant would open fire, take down his target, lay low for an hour and open fire again. He clearly knew how to use the ground to his advantage which led the source to believe the enemy sniper had military training. "It was like a game of cat-and-mouse and at one point the SAS almost gave up, believing that the terrorist had gone to ground," the source added.
Just before the sun was down, the terrorist emerged from a burned-out building and moved to what he thought was the best and safe location. The SAS sniper took the chance and fired a single shot 4,000 meters away and hit the enemy in the throat and killed him.
