Vehicles made by Islamic State militants for suicide car bombings are being held at the federal police headquarters after being confiscated in Mosul, Iraq.

Many have been painted in camouflage or blue, the colour of Iraqi federal police vehicles, in an attempt to fool surveillance aircraft into mistaking them for Iraqi forces’ vehicles.

Members of the emergency rapid division and federal police seized these cars in night raids, said the Iraqi federal police captain Bassam Hillo Kadhim.

The vehicles appear similar to those used in apparent suicide attacks shown in ISIS propaganda.

A tank turret and gun are mounted on the back of a large pickup, which police officials said had been designed to target military aircraft and ground troops.