The Mystery of the W77 Trucks

The Mystery of the W77 Trucks September 10, 2017 
(rough, incomplete) 
updates 9/17, 12/9/10/15/17, ...

The "W77 trucks" is a mystery I've been meaning to do a post on. There's some speculation on what this occasional making means - the most straightforward guess is it's to allow some people to pass a certain way through Islamist-held areas and maybe across the Turkish border. This was first investigated in late April, 2016 2017, as one of these vehicles was used as the suicide bombing that killed around 100 Shia evacuees from Kafraya and Foua, on April 15, in Rashidin, Aleppo. The other places they turn up have a way of being interesting as well.

That early work was largely by (among whoever else) a few Twitter users, including Alex Ocana and John Delacour. The latter has blocked me from seeing his tweets, so I'll just cite Alex's here, and maybe miss a few points. All sightings I know of in approximate chronological order. Info and details may be added...
Note 9/11: I was unaware of a useful Bellingcat investigation published by Christiaan Triebert  August 2, that collects several other instances of blue Porters or W77 vehicles. This didn't seeming to make much of it, but noted "Bellingcat thinks the colour scheme as well as the W77/77W signature may be unresolved clues in this investigation," and invited collaboration. I'll be adding at least the relevant entries above.

* April 7, 2016, Handarat, Aleppo: AO tweet: "W77 again. Complete picture from Russian Agency 07.04.2016 - 19:57 Nusra at #Aleppo ’s Handarat." <add 9/10>Bellingcat's report thinks there's no Nusra presence there at this time - if so, it's from another time or another area. It's a Nusra-front black W77 truck.</end 12/10>

As noted, the W is slanted different than usual (or as would be usual later...). There must be separate W stencil done backwards here (it's a different W stencil, not just the same one backwards - and no small overwriting, as would become standard). Armed black pickup with Nusra flag is different in all those ways from what we'll see later, after an apparent pause of about a year (or so it seems at this early point). They emerge more heavily in the period after interest peaked in 2017, and people started looking for them in current material. There may be many missed passing by in videos from this span and before.

* <add 12/17>July 10, 2016 Abian Sam'an, Idlib: video - seen passing at 0:11, early-style W. Video description: "The military aircraft launched two air raids on the town of Abyan Samaan. Several civilians were killed and several wounded, including women and children. The Civil Defense team headed in the center of Qalli. The martyrs and the wounded were treated and the place was fully secured." Abian Sam'an on Wikimapia. It's near Janah, at the Aleppo Idlib border (see below, 3-16-17). Qalli = Killi to the west. <end 12/17>

* August 12, 2016: <add 12/10>LiveUA map has photos showing "humanitarian aid from Kuwait" arriving in rebel-held Aleppo on this day, seen being loaded onto a white Porter W77 truck for local distribution, and this is shown driving around. Banner will give charity details, FWIW, but this likely is just food aid. The given map location seems to be in Wadi Bsila? (southwest part of the city, south of Bustan al-Qasr).

<12/17>The same truck with same scratches, etc., working with the same charity, is seen in a 2017 uploaded video, claiming to be from 2016 (but undated),  helping delivering aid to Idlib village Deir Hassan. Dayr Hashshan on Wikimapia (Turkish border near Reyhanli)<end 12/17>

This has the same W style we'd see later, different from the April example; it's not just flipped - the left-hand strokes are heavier in both cases, but the earlier case slants left with the right-hand strokes being vertical, and the new version has fat left verticals and thin strokes slanting to the right. The mall writing overwritten in-between is new here, and clearly says clearly VAIO - in general, below, this has looked like DAIO, but on review, it all says the same VAIO. (meaning unknown) Unusual Kia motors tailgate, no other markings, no rear license plate.<end 12/10>

* <12/17>Saraqeb, November 2, 2016: Video, 0:33. "Sham Idlib Sarakeb martyrs and wounded raids targeting the main market" No sign of blast damage, but something bad has happened with fire, perhaps burning bodies, and a W77 water tanker helped put it out. <end 12/17>



* <12/17>Dec. 29, 2016: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30dXCQFtnSw
0:57 pass W77? "Idlib people's views in 2016 and what they wish in the year"<end 12/17>

* February 25, 2017 <add 12/9>Date and story not clear, Via Andrew, comments, a re-posted video clip claiming Khan Sheikhoun - white Porter marked W77, but differently than usual, and with SUPER (not VAIO) overwritten. Also a different and fancier cage/rack style than usual. A likely decayed body fully wrapped is loaded. 2 other app. W77 trucks seen at end (white, blue with some overwriting) as a man cries. Looks like a desolate area like a limestone quarry where these people are being found. <end 12/9><add 12/10>The white truck's W is the same style seen in April 2016 and not since, with the left-hand side slanted. The blue truck has the newer right-slanting style.<end 12/10>
<12-15>Andrew has the link (see comments): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pszb5pyooo
Feb. 25, 2017 Assi press video The massacre of reservoirs in Khan Shaykhoun
The story as reported (as I recall) was moderate Islamist fighters massacred by extremist Islamists.
The latter were being chased out, but first killed some captives and dumped them in fuel storage pits south of Khan Sheikhoun. They almost look like government soldiers, in fairly uniform and camouflage clothing. Badly decayed, suspicious amounts of grief displayed. I don't trust that story, obviously. The white truck on the right above is not marked, but there are those two shown, plus: 0:06 and I think at 3:52 a white truck: mud covers it but there should be a W77 marking: the back side window has the floral design these tend to have. 2:15 unclear order, but app. 77W in black on a white Porter truck (or is that too far forward?). Some other vehicles, including a White Helmets van (unmarked) are helping carry away these bodies. <end 12-15>

* March 16(?), 2017, Jinah: (added 9-13, from Bellingcat) 2 seen at Jinah Mosque, Aleepo/Idlib border: W77 blue Porter, very muddly, sharing colors and decoration details with the Rashidin suicide truck. Jinah on Wikimpaia.

Nearby in the same video a cleaner 77W blue porter - window designs include Hyundai logo - tailgate says Daio? Mark of the custom paintjob people? May be what's under the W77 in many cases.

Two Porters appear in post-attack aerial imagery released by the US after it bombed the meeting hall half of the mosque complex on March 16. (one a different model, the other may be one of these) What's interesting here: the US claims it targeted a militant meeting after the mosque services let out and the civilian cars left. But rebel sources were insistent that dozens of civilians were killed, despite that we only see militant-looking vehicles. But these Porter trucks, one with high-sided cage walls, are capable of trucking in dozens of civilians to use as human shields. It's worth considering.

* March 22, 2017, near Khattab, Hama: (add 9-13, from Bellingcat) Triebert: "A blue Hyundai Porter without cage but with window decoration, driving reportedly near the town of Khattab in the Hama governorate, as shown in Qasioun News Agency video published in March 2017." Back end clearly has a white patch for W77/77W, but it's unclear which. The white floral design on the front and apparently windows marks it as part of the system. Along with Majdal, Khattab is of course one of the two named villages occupied by al-Nusra-led Islamists in late March, from which a reported 250 civilians were abducted, probably put into trucks, and driven to Khan Sheikhoun when the Islamists retreated on March 31. This one is still in the area but empty. It might be filled with something before it left with the Islamists. I may look into this more, try and set a date, etc.

Video - March 22 upload, maybe the 23rd in Syria. "Ensure the exit of civilians from the town of Khattab north of Hama after the opposition control." A horse, some tractors, lots of bedding, two portable generators? and several civilians moving one way on this road while the blue truck alone comes the other way along the shoulder. It gets a bit closer than the above still, but the video cuts before it gets clearer than this closer view.

Qasioun news reports: March 22 rebels take over. March 31 they flee. So maybe people were taken anywhere in this span, and not just at the end. <add 12/9>Some more details on the Hama offensive, execution of soldiers, possible rebel use of chlorine gas, and reports of massacres and/or abductions compiled here.<end 12/9>

* April 4, 2017, Khan Sheikhoun, Idlib: During the Khan Sheikhoun chemical massacre, just five days after Islamists pulled out of Khatab and perhaps trucked up hundreds of hostages ... one of these trucks (apparently the blue Porter variety?) delivered some of the bodies of alleged sarin victims from who knows where to be hosed off at the White Helmets Al-Rahma cave hospital (which victims?) By sunlight, it's pretty early, but no estimate yet. W77 variety: white or silver with black outline? Small underwriting between the 7s.

Video by Ibaa Agency, basically the official media wing of HTS/Al-Namechange Front. WH-Nusra link widely suspected - Nusra W77 link illustrated - Nusra video gets best view of (came in with?) this W77 truck. But others got the even earlier and more interesting appearance of these trucks, in the next entry.

* April 4, 2017, Khan Sheikhoun, same place: (add 9/12, thanks to Qoppa999 tweet) A Porter but perhaps nicer - it's an H-100 - white,  marked 77W, but in RED or maybe reflective GOLD rimmed with red, Allah on the windshield, mirror dots up the side, and most likely another W77/77W truck, but likely marked different, seeming more mundane. Between them, a bizarre and troubling scene - these seem to be about the first rescue vehicles to arrive at al-Rahma, prior to the earliest image, at ~7:10 am. In some images at the ACLOS timeline page, and the video one of them is taken from, we can say a batch of possibly dead civilians was unloaded before that first image, continue being sprayed, and in a later image (timed at 8:00 but I might need to review that), the same people are put back on the tuck to go somewhere else, and get sprayed again. This is what W77 trucks and White Helmets do when they hang out together.

This gold-red on white effect seems special, esteemed, like the W77 king's own truck. The apparent small underwriting seems to be done the same way. What an odd choice to be the first rescue vehicle out there picking people up in the first minutes, and to then hang around like this and haul the same people again...  Anyway, I now think the order is significant: W77 means one thing and 77W means a different but related thing: another level in the system, that's higher (closer to Al-Nusra?). 

<add 12/9>As Anonymous notes in comments below, there's another view (4:12 in this video) where we see the same other truck (same details down to door design and mud pattern below) with sides now up, backing across the lot from its original spot, presumably to load. The markings here are 77W, apparently in simple black.<end 12/9>

In general, 77W's tend to appear more around this incident closer to the victims, their furniture, etc, while W77s seem to do more menial hauling.

At least four five more sightings at least in the following days, same area:

* April 5? 6? Khan Sheikhoun: Driving past the alleged sarin crater as men gather samples - hauling unclear materials in bags with "production date" readable in English, perhaps unclear, 2006? No back license plate. None needed, because of the W77?<add 12/9>It's actually 77W. Considering the possibility above, is this menial hauling or special materials (like fertilizers or other chemicals destined for explosives or even CW manufacturing)? Also seen: on the right tailgate is what probably reads DAIO under the dust (see above). Interestingly, danger ! signs added - might tie in with red-and-white stripes all over - does this one haul hazardous materials?<end 12/9>

* April 5, 2017, Khan Sheikhoun area: Al-Jazeera Arabic video, apparently in KS, but   unclear - in a report about the incident. I think I first found this one, just now.
https://twitter.com/CL4Syr/status/907103267619954689

Windshield writing - hard to make out. side window patterning, white flames stenciled low on the side - winged logo on the front - W77 with small writing underneath (should say Hyundai...)

Another possible W77 truck passes just after this - an older truck with red paint, but the markings are much less clear if so. But tying it in, the noted "Lithuanian" color scheme appears on its railings, and it comes shortly behind this other, like they're on a joint adventure.

* Another crater pass: (add 9/12, from Bellingcat) - "A blue Hyundai Porter without cage but with the W77 sign in Khan Sheikhoun in the Idlib governorate. The video was uploaded by Ùmaya Press in April 2017 and is about the chemical attack in the city." Again, it's just caught as it passes the alleged sarin crater, while a boy is filmed. Seems about April 5/6, when the red signs was out and the crater still not filled in. Regular lowly W77 with no visible cargo. Danger signs on tailgate. Small white writing on right. No license plate.

<add 12-15>The video (Umayya Press) for the last entry has that scene at 4:28. Earlier in the same video (at 1:40) is another truck, also passing the bakery impact spot, as always headed north. Blue Porter H100 with consistent decorations, W77 with the second 7 missing, first one damaged, and no sign of the VAIO overwriting (torn off with the other 7, and the V-shaped missing part of this one?) We don't see the back, but the shadow of the rear bumper is clear there's no license plate. (hat-tip: this tweet)<end 12/15>

* Hauling away homes? (add 9/12, from Bellingcat): "A blue Hyundai Porter without cage in Khan Sheikhoun in the Idlib governorate. Published by TRT World. The Khan Sheikhoun Porter was spotted by Jesse Sandberg." I got a better still from the video cited - it's a 77W variety, window decor. It's perhaps hauling away furnishings and bedding after the people using them were killed in the chemical attack. This is KS, and just after - prob. April 5. They're still holding up dead birds.

There's a photo of this scene and the truck in this report from Yenisafak with the caption "Chemical gas attack survivor residents load their goods on a pick-up truck before leaving the town after yesterday's suspected chlorine gas attack in the town of Khan Shaykun, Idlib province, Syria on April 05, 2017." Okay, so they help people with moving? 

<add 12/9>That truck is seen again, driving away after being loaded. Apparently April 5 video by Anadolu Agency, posted April 6 - it's passing the alleged sarin crater headed north, with a possible militant sitting atop the load, and another man in the passenger's seat. (tip and stills from Michael Kobs) Note the load seems exactly the same as last seen, except that last giant rug they were trying to load didn't fit after all. On tailgate: no license plate, no danger sign, small writing on right (white), and on left, perhaps big-D DAIO, as seen above, but done in red?<end 12/9>

* <add 12/9>Another truck marked 77W is seen in the same Anadolu video, also seeming to head north on that same highway. This contains the people moving? At least 10 women and older girls, so it's a few families, and they're moving collectively and segregated, in the backs of trucks... (tip and stills from Michael Kobs). Everyone moves north around here, and it seems the W77 trucks' homing instinct pulls them deeper into the territory of the Turkish-backed Islamists. No rear license plate.<end 12/9>

* April 15, 2017, Rashidin, Aleppo - Rashidin suicide bomb massacre: It was a blue W77 Hyundai Porter with no license plate and an apparent false bottom that killed about 100 evacuating civilians, mostly children, after they were lured into one place with food, after rebels held them there for a day... medical help was delayed, the victims harangued, and one busload of the was just stolen, its 15 occupants taken as bargaining chips. Somehow, a blue Porter W77 truck played the central role, bringing all this attention. 

Apr 16: AlexOcana posts this composite image from a video of the suicide truck, asks for a make-model ID.
Soon, a Hyundai Porter is decided: it's a standard color, tending to come with the strange angled square on the door standard. This applies to many or most other W77s - they're Hyundai Porters, by and large.  Alex Ocana notes it seems to have a false bottom, as for smuggling, in which the explosives are hidden.  And it doesn't have a rear license plate.

https://twitter.com/DominicaCanaPt/status/853835583059263488
flag ID - Lithuanian? Apr 16
https://twitter.com/DominicaCanaPt/status/862291272295436288
Just to remind: The Rashadeen suicide truck had a false bottom full of explosives and a Lithuanian flag.

https://twitter.com/DominicaCanaPt/status/861337257097273346
@LinkeviciusL Can you explain how the blue suicide bomb truck with Lithuanian flag at #Rashadin got into hands of the suicide bomber?
https://twitter.com/DominicaCanaPt/status/861326112537935873
#NATO #Lithuania #Syria How the blue truck IDed by Lithuania flag as #Rashidin suicide truck end up there? LITCOM? UNSMIS?

Bellingcat's Cristiaan Triebert admits the color scheme points to Lithuania, but also is a scrambled version of a local Kurdish flag, etc., seems randomly hand-painted, and just not clear. For now, I have no opinion. Next I'll have to find out what  LITCOM is, etc.

* May 10, 2017, Bab, Aleppo: @JohnDelacour #Rashadin Latest W77 this time from the clashes in Turkish occupied N. Aleppo (Alex Ocana tweet) - http://syriadirect.org/news/dozens-of-casualties-after-latest-row-between-turkish-backed-rebels/ -  Sellers showcase their produce in al-Bab on May 10. Photo courtesy of Zein Al-Rifai/AFP. I don't think that's a license plate, but ground visible through the frame. Again, W77 seems to suffice.
<add 12/10>The W seems to be the older left-slanting version<end 12/10>

Andrew added some finds in some comments here, for lack of a better place:

http://libyancivilwar.blogspot.com/2017/06/idlib-chemical-massacre-hostages-in.html

* Unclear, Idlib: Nissan Caravan in Quniya (or perhaps Yacoubia? in "liberated" Idlib) where Nusra had just opened a mosque, perhaps at this closed-down church. The lettering is not the clearest here, but seems to be the same W77 - and no need for a rear license plate. A white porter sits nearby, but unmarked on this side, plates unclear. Date unclear, but well before May, 2017 documentary release
Documentary (2017) - Undercover in the 'rebel' held Idlib (Youtube) at 12:45

* May 25, Maarat Numan: an urban cleanup video  shows a blue Porter truck marked 77W with underwriting at 1:37, parked at an apparent grocery store (?) A white truck seen earlier may be W77 too, but unclear (0:37)

* <12/17> May 29, Khan Sheikhoun: Blue 77W with floral windows and side circles is parked at a market near another colorful and possibly related truck (video)

* <12/17>June 1 2017, Saraqeb: video "The spread of the "free" police in the town of Sarakib in Idlib to control the markets in Ramadan" more market activity: 77W unloading ice 1:10, W77 drives by 1:37.<end 12/17>

* June 5, Maarat al-Numan (added 9/17, from Bellingcat) June 5 tweet using photos stamped by HTS-linked Ibaa News Agency: "An IED exploded this morning near a car in Maarat al-Numan, driver injured." White H-100, W77 in silver outlined in black. Here the smaller underwriting appears as outlined over-writing, but unclear what it says (same Daio or similar as on others?). Only other place we've seen outlined W77, in red and black, was two cases hauling victims of the KS chemical massacre. Hm. Different door design than usual, marked Porter, super. Limited custom decorations, but front wings, side flames like April 5 KS sighting, and same windshield writing, which we can see says Hyun(crown)dai.<add 12/10>The W here and the 7 is a different, blockier style than most cases, besides being silver.<end 12/10>

* <add 12/17>June 16, 2017, Kafr Nabudah: Video shows "the atmosphere of Ramadan in the town of Kfarabouda in the northern countryside of Hama" - 0:36 kebobs grilling next to an unusually stylized dark blue model Porter marked W77, parked in the street, and likely another lighter-blue one parked across the street. Kafr Nabudah on Wikimapia, a bit west of Khan Sheikhoun

* June 17, 2017, Kafr Nabudah: Video shows  "Return of approximately 1,000 displaced families to the town of Kfarabouda in the countryside of Hama" A W77 passes at 0:50 - another blue Porter there is unmarked, but might be pulling out to join the passing one. Also a white one seen parked at 0:09<end 12/17>

* June 25, 2017, Hish, Idlib: WH video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDnDurGaRXI - cargo: one well-dressed young girl. Story unclear. No rear license plate.

* September 6, Al-Ra'i: from Triebert tweet - a

September 6 photo, by Fırat Haber Ajansı, Istanbul. "The Free Police performs its duties in inspecting vehicles in the town of Al-Ra'i ( الراعي ) in order to protect the lives of citizens from any terrorist threat." 77W with extra clear (DAIO?) (overwriting?) Unusually, a rear license plate (number is hard to read). Similar colors pattern to Rashidin truck, but different (less Lithuanian) colors. Location: Al-Ra'i sounds familiar, but I can't find it at the moment. Turkish border? Ah! FriedmanWo helps: Wikimapia - Turkish border, north of Bab, Aleppo - usual ISIS stronghold, repeatedly taken and re-taken, here a week into Turkish-backed "FSA" control. Right on the border: here on Wikimapia, 2.7km from "Turkish train station" and closer to the border in other spots. If this is a midday photo, the truck is currently set to drive north or northwest, so coming from within Syria rather than from Turkey. Probably coming from Tal Atiya to the SSE. Helpfully marked Danger! on the tailgate. What does that mean?

* Sept. 16, 2017, Talmenes, Idlib: In this video and another one with kids (link lost), we see a distinguished-looking white 77W trucks, silver letters with black outline (overwriting unclear). It's seen helping with some livestock for children charity. Video description: "Inspection and distribution of sheep in Talmines within the livelihood support project." Talmenes on Wikimapia. 

* Oct. 31, 2017, Talmenes, Idlib: At 0:50 in this video, a white W77 Porter is seen loading up with rice, apparently (some grain) "Distribution of feed on the beneficiaries of the third phase in Talmines in rural Idlib."  

* <add 12/10> undated/uplaced: an opposition reporter shows this photo of a few W77s parked together, on Twitter to Chistian Triebert of Bellingcat: "Every Honday Porter in Syria carries this figure, that's no difference." Triebert noted it's not universal, but common, and didn't get a response about when and where. (prior to posting on August 2) The guy either doesn't know or knows what it means, and implies it means nothing. Here are 4 so marked, I think two each of the 77W and W77 variety, at what might be their base of operation in an unnamed town, in early morning or late afternoon, depending.<end 12/10>

* <add 12-15> Date/locale unclear: Bellingcat's report includes as image 16 a GIF or short clip from an unplaced and undated Ibaa News Agency video. That's an official news outlet  of HTS-Al-Nusra, whose Youtube channel has since been closed, and no link was given anyway). So wherever, whenever, "Two Hyundai Porters can be seen driving right after each other ... Both Porters are without a cage but have the W77 marking on the side of the back loader." The resolution is small, but it seems the blue one is marked W77, and the white one 77W.<end 12-15>

---
The Decorations:

Blue Hyundai Porters compared: I don't think we've seen the same one twice yet. The April 5 Al Jazeera and April 15 (Rashidin) ones have their W77 painted at different levels relative to the underlying small name (which says Hyundai?) Two from above and another from (?), flipped horizontally by Alex Ocana - floral patterns stenciled in window, but different other features: dots, flames along the bottom, all in white. 

The one passing the sarin crater seems to have window florals as well, but the angle is too oblique to bother comparing. However its rear window may have an identifiable part of some logo. The April 5 one also has writing across the top of the windshield I'm not sure is ever readable. (from another instance, it says HYUN(crown)DAI)

Under-writing/over-writing: DAIO? Seems to be done in the same colors as the added W77, and apparently added on top of it. ??

<add 12/10>Update: As the August 2016 images show (crop here), it's VAIO, not DAIO. Reviewing the others, the overwriting looks more like that anyway. The "big-D Daio" tailgate writing still seems to start with a D, so must be different. The rest of that could be "aio," but isn't clear enough to call, and it seems I was conflating the two marks.  <end 12/10>

bar code sticker: video, 0:10 12-3-2016 Aid Idlib - Unmarked blue Porter has a barcode sticker behind the driver's door, possibly related at some level. The same is seen on both X500 trucks (below) and on some others seen above (June 5, parking lot, Ibaa video). But mot trucks have this taken off, or maybe never had it. ... 

...
Variations

I haven't tried much to correlate the "Lithuanian" or almost-Kurdish colors often related many trucks with this kind of style, similar fancy color patterns and an almost "gypsy" look to me that looks non-Islamic and in context, maybe Kurdish. I'm only catching these as they also bear the relevant markings. But here are some different yet possibly related markings I've run across.

W77 But Wrong Style and Area

* <add 12/10> June, 2017, Raqqah province, via Bellingcat: Image 18. A W77 sign seen on a white Hyundai Porter with cage, at a refugee camp in the northern Raqqa governorate. Footage published by RT in June 2017. Cases from Raqqah, as seen below, seem less consistent in their style. This one is unclear, with the W mostly covered. The 77 looks right. Circular decorations behind driver's door are also consistent with the system seen. It's not clear to me whose area this is, but cases below tnd to be in Kurdish-held, or Kurdish-SDF-taken former ISIS areas, not places HTS and Turkish backed factions operate. This one is unclear.<end 12/10>

* June 2017? Ain Issa

Another "W77" truck in Ain Issa (still no idea if significant) In the makeshift camp at Ain Issa, 50 km north of the Raqqa in Syria, a boy carries a jerrycan filled with water. Photo: UNICEF/Souleiman (on or before June 9)  

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=56945#.WTu2Fty1uUl

But this says N7, right? Nope. seems painted, so it's not likely part of the black paint fell off - was it deliberately re-painted? To be less obvious from a distance, after Rashidin?Note: this is an unusual area - not Al-Nusra/HTS-dominated but rather Kurdish/SDF-controlled.

* <add 12/17> Shadadi, Hasakah, July 1, 2017: video: Absence of services exacerbates the suffering of the people of the city of Shaddadi south of Hasaka (like Raqqah, former ISIS) - markings here are clearly non-standard, but still used. This is possibly interesting.<end 12/17>

* July 21, Tabqa, Raqah: One seen in July (from Bellingcat), photo taken by by Dutch journalist Harald Doornbos of a damaged street in Tabqa, Raqqah - recent ISIS turf, taken by SDF? seen from a distance at a bad angle, so details unclear, No license plate. Apparent light patch for W77, not the clearest, may be partly obscured. Unusual cage/rack, custom decorations unclear, yellow-blue door pattern.

Parked in front of it, a white truck, seems to be a similar model Porter, with a possible black spot for W77 markings, and apparently no license plate. It has a full-topped tiger cage on the back, probably used for transporting prisoners.

* <add 12/9>August 2, Tabqa: Raqqah knockoffs? A video about a fuel crisis here shows hundreds of vehicles lined up. The same W77 code seen in several cases, but in different lettering styles and on different and varied vehicles ..Three marked Porters seen at 1;40 and two later, (one is Song make, and has a woman's made-up face painted around the headlights - not normal) and a yellow taxi at least - 2:00 and 2:08. All are W77, not 77W.

The style on the taxi is notably different (left part of the W has fallen off). SUPER is overwritten. Usually, this is on a Super Porter and seems to refer to that. On a little car, it underlines how these don't seem to be part of the general system we're examining. This is former ISIS turf, not HTS-Al-Qaeda areas, like usual. The car at least has a rear license plate.<end 12/9>

X500

The other way around, some markings that don't say W and 77 still seem to part of the system, or made by the same people. A video (Al Jazeera) from April 30, 2017 claims to show people displaced from Khan Sheikhoun returning despite the danger. This family is loaded along with a motorcycle and not much else into a white truck marked X500 / 500x overwriting: SPEED. The front and window decorations are exactly from the W77 system, just like the outline lettering.

At 0:37 in this video of June 1 2017 is Super Deluxe and 500x on a colorful variant light blue Porter (composite view with floating elbows - boxes: side circles, bar code sticker).

Pre-W77 System?

<add 12/17>Similar flame decals and Arabic writing, perhaps big block letters AC, and a certain eagle-looking design appeared on some Porter trucks - this seems like a precursor system later replaced with W77. I've only found two examples, both from early 2016. 

A video of Feb. 6, 2016 shows a refugee camp, with such a truck driving trhough at 0:26, marked AC, flames, eagle (in white).

A January 23 video from Qatar Charity shows delivery of "winter aid" somewhere in Idlib. We see windshield decorations, fire attached to eagle, eagle alone, and flaming "4x4" in black on a lighter blue truck.

The eagle, if that's what it is, seems to appears in about the same spot, at the front side, in some W77 trucks seen above, including: March 22 Khattab - April 5 KS (W7 passing the crater) - possibly September 6, Al-Ra'i (or coincidentally-shaped damage?) - and possibly June, 2017, Raqqah, if it can be done in pink and look like a strangely consistent double-smudge with fuzzy edges.<end 12/17>

Map of Sightings

<add 12/17>Most of the above have given locations, which map out like so: 

Speculation on Meaning

W77 = Allah?

As a comment at the Bellingcat post suggests: #77 of the traditional 99 names of God (Allah) is Al-Wali ( الوالي ), "the patron." Interesting. And  FWIW, the main name of Allah in Arabic contains two W shapes. That could be a roman-letter way of saying "serious Islamists with solid patronage on board." W(wali)77.

hsm.w77?

W77 appears in a few things one can search for, and could have many possible meanings (some fumbling through possibilities in comments by Andrew and I here)

But the most promising seems to be an e-mail address: hsm.w77 @gmail.com  is attached to this Youtube account.  This channel promoted some Saudi-Turkish backed humanitarian truck delivery activity to deliver things that will help the Syrian people. The top video is still this from mid-2013 (still at right).

AO tweet: "facebook.com/DyrAlzwrDeerAlzor … seems to be the renamed FB acct from hsm.w77 and has this logo." (right: seems Saudi-inspired: seems to say "tell people the good news" or spread the Wahhabi creed?)

I perused this site and shared some highlights here - it espouses solidarity with the Sunni "revolution of Aleppo and Damascus," with a lot of ugly sectarian propaganda, like promotion of (and maybe fundraising for) the 2013 Latakia offensive that wound up a genocidal massacre and mass-abduction of Alawite civilians - and a sudden stop in October, 2014, as if the page's proprietor had run off to Turkey to join ISIS or al-Nusra...

This may be unrelated, but it could be just a long pause before the same still-mysterious W77 appears by April, 2016 on trucks driving around the Turkey-Syria border.

Rashidin - persons of interest

(mostly Alex Ocana tweets - may not directly relate)

https://twitter.com/DominicaCanaPt/status/862352042664308739

1. @ShehabiFares reported Samer Kharita as Rashadeen bomber with no supporting evidence. Here is maybe same person. Feb. 1 '16 Anadan Aleppo

https://twitter.com/DominicaCanaPt/status/862411727216029696

I think I may have spotted Samer in the back of the W77 truck. Widow peak there but faint.

https://twitter.com/DominicaCanaPt/status/856521257906470912

14. Wanted for questioning. Armed goon at candy distribution point, JAS personage, photographer for Syria Charity & Catman of Aleppo.

https://twitter.com/DominicaCanaPt/status/856522305731776513

April 24

16. Another shot of the JAS personage handing out sweets. Wanted for questioning.

Person of interest from the video with the truck.

https://twitter.com/DominicaCanaPt/status/862388360370937859

https://twitter.com/DominicaCanaPt/status/856498858456698881

#Rashidin Catman of Aleppo plus two Syria Charity (one a photog, plus one Jaysh Tahrir al-Sharqiyah and armed AQ type distributed candies.

https://twitter.com/DominicaCanaPt/status/856347050736328704

Probably Jaysh Tahrir al-Sharqiyah logo?? We have: Syria Charity, ONGLive (Bilal)  and Cat Hospital on the scene.

https://twitter.com/DominicaCanaPt/status/892531533449498624

#Syria #SAA We find blue W77 trucks at both Rashadin and Khan S. sarin attack, and the same person handing out sweets & catching bodies.

https://twitter.com/DominicaCanaPt/status/892545987645976576

compares KS-Rashidin