Although ISIS is known for using social media for recruitment purposes, U.S. Air Force intel has been using Twitter to track down Islamic State militants, according to Gen. Hawk Carlisle, commander of Air Combat Command.
“These guys that are working down at Hurlburt (Florida), they’re combing through social media. And they see some moron standing at this command and control capability for Da’Esh, ISIL. These guys go, ‘ah we got an in,'” Carlisle said at a speech in Arlington, Virginia, on Monday. “Long story short…three JDAMs take the entire building out.”
Carlisle said his team was able to perform three joint direct attack munitions twenty-two hours upon discovering the location of the Islamic State group headquarters on social media.
“Incredible work when you think about it. And it was these incredible Airmen out there doing those kind of things,” Carlisle said.
The Islamic Group has published approximately 1,700 pictures, videos and other publications all across social media and have gained at least 200,000 readers on Twitter, which exports told Congress, according to the AirForceTimes.
With more than 1,500 pictures, videos and publications scattered across social media, ISIS has managed to capture the attention of around 3,400 Westerners and at least 200 Americans to join their ranks, said Nicholas Rasmussen, director of the National Counterterrorism Center.
Social media has been a central focus for propagandists to recruit, share their experiences and show off their triumphs. However, US intel, specifically airmen, have been avidly searching across social media to track down ISIS whereabouts to actively respond.