Even ISIS is sometimes hapless and unprepared. But it can take a very special warrior to reveal that.
In a recent firefight in northern Iraq, one such warrior was on-hand to give ISIS fighters more than they bargained for. (H/t: Task and Purpose) The warrior’s name is as yet unrevealed. All the public knows is that it was a German shepherd military working dog.
British special forces (SAS) soldiers who had been training Kurdish Peshmerga were caught in the firefight when their four-vehicle convoy was ambushed by ISIS. One of the vehicles struck an IED, and the soldiers had to fight from improvised positions when they came under heavy fire. As they tried to make their position more defensible, they were hit from the rear.
According to the UK media report, a U.S. soldier was embedded with the SAS team, and he was apparently the dog handler. When the ISIS attackers moved in from the rear, he released the German shepherd (which the report refers to as an Alsatian):
“The Alsatian was with the team in a training role but when the troops came under fire it was desperate to get involved.
“It could sense the tension and had an overpowering urge to protect its handler and the other troops.
“When the dog was unleashed it went after the greatest threat without consideration for its own safety – this is what they are trained to do.”
The canine warrior made short work of the ISIS goons:
The militants tried to shoot the dog but missed. It then jumped at one of the terrorists, biting his neck and face.
The dog then turned on another jihadi, savaging his arms and legs. Both men turned and fled screaming.
As the Daily Star’s source points out:
“A snarling Alsatian running at you is very frightening and probably not something the jihadis had encountered. The dog did its job and returned to its handler with its tail wagging.”
The dog’s heroics gave the team the extra time it needed until U.S. air support arrived to knock out the attacking force. SAS credits the dog with saving lives and giving the team the opportunity to escape the ambush.
This shepherd’s role is as an attack dog; the Star says its sources think this incident marked the first time an attack dog saved British lives in combat, in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
Learn About Other Live-Saving Canines At Liberty Unyielding