Battle for Mosul: Iraq asks for UK help to get thermobaric weapons

“Thermobaric weapons work on the principle of finely powdered fuel scattered by a charge and then ignited. “The idea is that the entire explosive weight in a warhead can be a fuel rather than a conventional explosive mixture which is around 30% fuel and 70% oxidiser. “They kill primarily through the powerful and extremely fast blast pressure wave which they create on ignition, as well as the secondary effect of almost instantly sucking up all the oxygen in the immediate vicinity of the blast. “Both of these effects are significantly enhanced when they occur in combined spaces, which is why they are particularly lethal against tunnels and bunker complexes.”