2011 Syrian Civil War

9K111 Fagot in the 2011 Syrian Civil War

The 9K111 Fagot / AT-4 Spigot is documented in Syrian rebel anti-tank guided missile use, including renewed Soviet-model ATGM supplies around the 2016 Aleppo fighting.

Weapon profile9K111 Fagot
SideOpposition and anti-government forcesRoleAnti-ArmorInsurgent / Guerrilla Use
9K111 Fagot, Man-portable anti-tank guided missile system, Infantry Weapons - 2011 Syrian Civil War
Image source: AT-4 Fagot on display.jpg

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
Syrian rebels used ATGMs during the 2011 Syrian Civil War, and Bellingcat identifies the 9K111 Fagot / AT-4 Spigot among the documented missile systems.

Sources: Bellingcat Seven Years of War

During the 2016 Aleppo fighting, rebels received renewed Soviet-model ATGM supplies, mostly 9K111 Fagot / AT-4 Spigot systems.

Sources: Bellingcat Seven Years of War

U.S. shipment documents summarized through Jane's/Business Insider listed 9M111M missiles and Faktoria launchers among materiel sent to Syrian rebels in December 2015.

Sources: Business Insider Weapons Sent to Syrian Rebels

The public sources used here support rebel-side fielding and use but do not establish a complete Fagot-specific launch count or battle-damage list.

Sources: Bellingcat Seven Years of War, Business Insider Weapons Sent to Syrian Rebels

Timeline

9K111 Fagot In 2011 Syrian Civil War

  1. Rebel ATGM use expands

    Bellingcat reported that rebel ATGMs became more important as the war developed clearer front lines, with 257 visually confirmed rebel ATGM launches counted for 2013.

    Sources: Bellingcat Seven Years of War

  2. Jaish al-Izzah ATGW footage noted

    Business Insider, summarizing Jane's reporting, described a Jaish al-Izzah video still from 16 December 2015 as showing a fighter preparing to fire an ATGW that could be either a 9K111 Fagot or a 9K111M Faktoria.

    Sources: Business Insider Weapons Sent to Syrian Rebels

  3. Renewed Fagot-heavy Soviet ATGM supply reported

    Bellingcat reported that rebels received a new supply of Soviet-model ATGMs, mostly 9K111 Fagot / AT-4 Spigot systems, during the 2016 period of intensive Aleppo fighting.

    Sources: Bellingcat Seven Years of War

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

Bellingcat's review of Syrian rebel anti-tank guided missile use identifies the 9K111 Fagot / AT-4 Spigot among the ATGM systems used during the 2011 Syrian Civil War. The article describes the Fagot as a Soviet SACLOS wire-guided anti-tank missile system and frames it within the rebel ATGM record built from archived launch footage and other visual evidence.

The clearest dated Fagot-specific point in the public record is 2016. Bellingcat reported that, during intense fighting around Aleppo, rebels received a renewed supply of Soviet-model ATGMs, mostly 9K111 Fagot / AT-4 Spigot systems, in addition to regular TOW shipments.

Sources: Bellingcat Seven Years of War

Timeline

Bellingcat counted only nine visually confirmed rebel ATGM launches in 2012, then described ATGMs as increasingly important as the war developed into a more conventional front-line conflict in 2013. It reported 257 visually confirmed rebel ATGM launches for 2013 and 468 for 2014, placing the Fagot inside a broader rebel missile environment rather than a single isolated appearance.

In December 2015, a Jane's-based Business Insider summary of U.S. shipment documents listed 9M111M missiles and Faktoria launchers among materiel sent to Syrian rebels. The same article captioned a Jaish al-Izzah still from 16 December 2015 as showing a fighter preparing to fire an ATGW that could be either a 9K111 Fagot or a 9K111M Faktoria, noting that the two were externally identical.

Sources: Bellingcat Seven Years of War, Business Insider Weapons Sent to Syrian Rebels

Battlefield role

In opposition service, the Fagot functioned as a portable anti-armor guided missile for defensive and ambush fire against Syrian government armor and other ground targets. Bellingcat describes rebel ATGMs in 2015 and 2016 as important in stopping or delaying pro-government armored assaults, particularly around Idlib, northern Hama, and Aleppo, while also noting that the overall rebel ATGM record combines several missile families.

The Fagot's role was enabled by existing Syrian stocks and by external supply streams. Bellingcat reported that the Syrian Arab Army had large pre-war stockpiles of Soviet-origin anti-tank weapons, that rebels obtained weapons from captured bases, and that sympathetic foreign states later supplied additional ATGMs. The Business Insider/Jane's shipment summary supports the transfer side of that picture for 9M111M/Faktoria materiel in late 2015.

Sources: Bellingcat Seven Years of War, Business Insider Weapons Sent to Syrian Rebels

Evidence limits

The sources used here support rebel-side Fagot/Faktoria fielding and use in the Syrian Civil War, especially in the 2015-2016 period, but they do not provide a complete public incident list for Fagot launches. Where Bellingcat discusses rebel ATGM effects by year or battle, those effects cover the broader rebel ATGM inventory rather than only the 9K111 family.

Sources: Bellingcat Seven Years of War, Business Insider Weapons Sent to Syrian Rebels

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Sources