Not all of these missile systems stayed with their designated groups. Many fell into al-Qaeda and ISIS hands throughout the duration of their deliveries to Syria. This was known to the CIA and US government, but they continued pumping TOWs into the Syrian battlefield.
Jabhat al-Nusra, Syria's al-Qaeda branch, firing TOW missiles in Idlib in 2015.
Jabhat al-Nusra attempted to rebrand itself twice, its current name being Hyat Tahrir al-Sham or HTS. Pictured is HTS using the TOW in 2019 and 2020.
In mid-2015 ISIS captured the city of Palmyra from the Syrian Army. Syrian army lines were crumbling across Syria due to extensive TOW ATGM use by many factions, ISIS included. Here ISIS is seen lining up their TOW launchers.
ISIS firing a TOW at a Syrian army position in then besieged Deir Ezzor city.
In 2016 the Syrian army advanced East of the city of Aleppo to break the siege of Kweres airbase from ISIS. During this campaign ISIS used TOW missiles extensively against Syrian army targets.
On top of direct use by extremist groups, the TOW saw extensive use alongside them at the hands of the so-called "moderate opposition."
