2011 Syrian Civil War

M40 106 mm recoilless rifle in the 2011 Syrian Civil War

The M40 106 mm recoilless rifle is documented in Syrian rebel use from 2013 reporting and later Idlib battle analysis, chiefly as vehicle-mounted direct fire support against positions and armor.

Weapon profileM40 106 mm recoilless rifle
SideOpposition and anti-government forcesRoleFire SupportAnti-ArmorInsurgent / Guerrilla Use
M40 106 mm recoilless rifle, 106 mm crew-served recoilless rifle, Infantry Weapons - 2011 Syrian Civil War
Image source: M274 with M40 in AAFM.jpg

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
Syrian rebels fielded M40 106 mm recoilless rifles in the 2011 Syrian Civil War.

Sources: WIRED M40 Syria Reappearance

The M40 was used as vehicle-mounted direct fire against bunkers, fortified positions, sniper locations, and tanks.

Sources: WIRED M40 Syria Reappearance

A 106 mm M40 recoilless rifle was part of the rebel fire-support package in the 19 January 2020 Abu Dafna attack in Idlib Governorate.

Sources: Oryx Abu Dafna Raid

The public sources used here do not establish a settled supply route or complete rifle count for Syrian rebel M40s.

Sources: WIRED M40 Syria Reappearance, Oryx Abu Dafna Raid

Timeline

M40 106 mm recoilless rifle In 2011 Syrian Civil War

  1. Syrian rebel M40 use reported

    WIRED reported that M40 106 mm recoilless rifles were appearing with Syrian rebels, usually on jeeps or pickup trucks and used against fortified positions, sniper locations, and tanks.

    Sources: WIRED M40 Syria Reappearance

  2. M40 identified in Abu Dafna attack

    Oryx identified a 106 mm M40 recoilless rifle among rebel fire-support weapons used in the attack on Abu Dafna in Idlib Governorate.

    Sources: Oryx Abu Dafna Raid

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

WIRED reported in May 2013 that M40 106 mm recoilless rifles were appearing in the Syrian war after previously showing up with Libyan rebels. The article described the Syria examples as long-tubed guns mounted on jeeps or pickup trucks and used against bunkers, fortified positions, sniper locations, and tanks.

Oryx later identified a 106 mm M40 recoilless rifle among rebel fire-support weapons used during the 19 January 2020 attack on Abu Dafna in Idlib Governorate. That account places the M40 alongside mortars, artillery, rockets, and technicals in the rebel attack package.

Sources: WIRED M40 Syria Reappearance, Oryx Abu Dafna Raid

Timeline

The first dated public source used here is WIRED's 31 May 2013 report, which treated the M40 as a recurring visual feature in Syrian battlefield videos and attributed the known Syria examples to rebel hands. The report also said provenance was unresolved, with possible links to Libya, Western arsenals, Libyan transfers, or Iranian-origin Anti-Tank Gun 106 production.

The 2020 Oryx account gives a later incident-level example. In the Abu Dafna attack, rebel forces used the M40 in a broader fire-support package before armored and infantry elements advanced on government positions.

Sources: WIRED M40 Syria Reappearance, Oryx Abu Dafna Raid

Battlefield role

In opposition service, the M40 filled a direct-fire role that matched the weapon's older anti-armor and bunker-attack design. The available sources show it mounted on light vehicles and used as a support weapon rather than as a mass-issued infantry arm.

The sources separate use from provenance. WIRED directly supports rebel possession and battlefield use in Syria, but it did not settle whether the guns came through Libyan rebel stocks, Western-supplied channels, Syrian government capture, or Iranian-pattern production. Oryx supports later use by Idlib rebels in one documented attack, but it does not establish a complete inventory or chain of custody.

Sources: WIRED M40 Syria Reappearance, Oryx Abu Dafna Raid

Evidence limits

The public source package supports M40 use by opposition and anti-government forces in the 2011 Syrian Civil War. It does not support a precise count of rifles, a complete list of operating factions, or a settled supply route into Syria.

Sources: WIRED M40 Syria Reappearance, Oryx Abu Dafna Raid

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Sources