“It video imitates the graphics on Call of Duty or other video games,” said Eliot Higgins, a Syria expert who specialises in identifying weaponry and military tactics used by parties in the war.
“A lot of these jihadists are from Western countries. They all have an Xbox. This is how they view conflict.”
Once the purview of governments to conduct reconnaissance operations, drone technology has now become readily available to the public, with civilians able to purchase the object relatively cheaply in shops or online.
The jihadist groups have increasingly adopted the technology in stylised propaganda videos that appear intended to both strike fear into the hearts of the enemy and as a recruitment drive. In August this year Isil posted one such video on YouTube that included aerial footage shot above Tabqa, a major military air field that the jihadists subsequently captured from the regime.
“The footage is also a display of their prowess in showing that they can fly a drone over an airbase,” said Mr Higgins.
Jabhat al-Nusra, al-Qaeda’s wing in Syria has also started making use of drone technology.
In October the group published footage showcasing their own surveillance drones. In a video entitled “Breaking the Siege” they promoted their role in releasing several hundred rebels that were besieged in the Syrian town of Maliha.
Mr Higgins said: “The jihadists have jumped on the general popularity of drones [in the West]. [By their standards] If it’s a good video, you expect to include footage from a drone.”