With a wingspan of more than two metres, the X-8 commercial drone manufactured by China-based Skywalker Technologies is a favourite among hobbyists and aerial photography enthusiasts.
But the aircraft, which can be bought for just a few hundred dollars, is also perfect for military reconnaissance, artillery spotting and even aerial bombing, as soldiers fighting against Isis in Iraq and Syria have discovered.
The first X-8 in a conflict zone was spotted in 2015 by Kurdish forces near the Mosul Dam in Iraq, while in October 2016 a bomb-laden X-8 killed two Kurdish soldiers and injured two French commandos in the same area, according to Sahan Research, a UK-based think-tank.
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