Mortars are short-barreled, high-angle indirect-fire weapons used by infantry, artillery units, and armed groups for close support, harassment, and attacks on positions behind cover. The catalog entry treats mortars as a broad weapon class because the direct conflict sources usually document mortar use without identifying exact calibers or models, including Philippine government support fires at Marawi, Hezbollah fire at Mount Dov, jihadist attacks in Mali and Sinai, FARC dissident improvised mortars in Colombia, 2023 Sudan War battlefield use, and Cambodia-accused cross-border fire.
Australian Army Research Centre reporting on the 2017 Battle of Marawi says a company from the Philippine Army's 2nd Infantry Division fired more than 10,000 mortar rounds in three months, with mortars providing intimate support during urban clearing; the source does not identify the mortar calibers or models.
The City Paper Bogota reported that FARC dissidents' 36th Front was attributed by early intelligence to an August 2025 attack in Antioquia where eradication-support personnel were first hit with home-made mortars and gunfire before a drone brought down a police Black Hawk; the source does not identify a standardized mortar model.
Times of Israel reporting, citing the IDF and Hezbollah, says Hezbollah launched two mortars at the Mount Dov area on 2 December 2024, the first fire from Lebanon after the truce; the rounds landed in open areas and the specific mortar type was not identified.
Associated Press reporting carried by ABC7 said a mortar attack on the MINUSMA base in Kidal killed two UN peacekeepers and a contractor on 28 November 2015; no group claimed the attack, but Islamic extremists were suspected, and the exact mortar model was not identified.
NCTC attributes a June 2015 rocket and mortar attack on the Multinational Force and Observers base in Sinai to Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis after its Islamic State alignment, while VICE reported Wilayat Sinai's claim for a March 2016 mortar attack on an Egyptian security checkpoint south of el-Arish.
Amnesty International's Sudan arms investigation reported that mortars manufactured in China were used by both sides of the 2023 Sudan War and that recent Chinese mortars were used in El-Daein, East Darfur; the public summary does not assign those specific mortars to a single belligerent.
Al Jazeera and Straits Times reporting cited the Thai army's accusation that Cambodian forces fired mortar rounds into Ubon Ratchathani province on 6 January 2026, wounding one Thai soldier; Cambodia described the incident as accidental or denied intentional fire.
This entry groups documented mortar use when sources identify the weapon class but not a precise tube, caliber, or national model. More specific linked records cover caliber families when reporting identifies them.
60 mm light, 81/82 mm medium, and 120 mm heavy mortars are the main modern families represented in the catalog.
Close fire support, smoke, illumination, suppression, harassment, and high-angle attacks on targets masked by terrain or urban cover.
Conflict rows stay on this broad page only when the available source says mortars were used but does not identify a more exact mortar record.
This page covers mortars as a broad weapon class; linked caliber-family pages hold narrower conflict rows when sources identify a 60 mm, 81/82 mm, or 120 mm weapon rather than only the generic mortar class.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
 | Light infantry mortar family | FM 23-90 treats 60 mm mortars as light, crew-served infantry systems with high-explosive, smoke, illumination, and training ammunition options. Sources: FM 23-90 Mortars |
 | Medium crew-served mortar family | Medium 81 mm and 82 mm mortar families bridge light infantry mortars and heavy 120 mm systems; this linked record holds variant-specific conflict sourcing for the combined class. Sources: FM 23-90 Mortars |
 | Heavy mortar family | The U.S. Army 120 mm mortar systems source identifies the M120A1 towed and M121 carrier-mounted configurations as representative heavy mortar systems. Sources: 120MM Mortar Systems |
| Vehicle-mounted mortar systems | Carrier-mounted configuration | Modern heavy mortars can be mounted on carrier vehicles, with the U.S. Army M121 representing a carrier-mounted 120 mm mortar configuration. Sources: 120MM Mortar Systems |
Britannica describes the Stokes mortar as the progenitor of most present-day mortars, anchoring the modern short-barreled, high-angle mortar lineage.
Sources: Mortar
Australian Army Research Centre reporting says a Philippine Army company fired more than 10,000 mortar rounds during three months of the Battle of Marawi.
Sources: The 2017 Battle of Marawi: Lessons for Developing Urban Capabilities
Amnesty International reported mortar use by both main belligerents in the 2023 Sudan War, including recently manufactured Chinese mortars used in East Darfur.
Sources: Sudan: Constant Flow of Arms Fuelling Relentless Civilian Suffering in Conflict
Times of Israel reporting, citing the IDF and Hezbollah, says Hezbollah launched two mortars toward Mount Dov after the November 2024 ceasefire.
Sources: IDF Launches Wave of Strikes in Lebanon After Hezbollah Mortar Attack
Al Jazeera and Straits Times reporting cite Thai claims that Cambodian mortar rounds crossed into Ubon Ratchathani province during ceasefire implementation.
Sources: Thai Army Says Cambodia Claims New Border Strike Was Accident Amid Truce, Thailand Says Cambodia Violated Truce with Cross-Border Accident
