There are two kinds of stun grenades in Basra, the policeman continued. Some weigh between 250 and 300 grams and contain an explosive, often TNT. “These are the ones that are dangerous and cause a lot of damage,” he notes. “The others have detonators and just make a very loud noise. These are the ones used to send a message to the victim. They could be followed by a more serious attack.”
After the Iraqi resistance against the US-led occupation of the country in 2003, many anti-US groups trained members to make improvised explosive devices; they trained others and numbers who could do this job multiplied. These days in Basra the stun grenades are favoured because they cause less damage, just in case there are any mistakes made.
“They take advantage of the fact that anyone making these bombs is not classified as a terrorist because the bomb is only categorised as unauthorised and isn’t included in the legislation defining terrorism,” explains Majid al-Sari, a local military analyst. Stun grenades sell for around IQD150,000 (around US$130) but the price can go up to IQD250,000 (around $215) if the buyer also asks the maker of the stun grenade to organise an attack on somebody.
It is hard to know who is to blame but most likely, given the price of the stun grenades, they could be being used by anyone with a grudge or an axe to grind.
The police officer says some individuals have been arrested in connection with the attacks, but he could not give any further details.
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