“Qayyarah is close enough to Mosul to ensure that the United States can have advisers in the forward headquarters executing the Mosul battle and also for US artillery and helicopters to provide direct support to the battle,” said Knights. “Qayyarah now has a secure line of supply across the Tigris to Erbil airport, so it can serve as a supply base too.”
Although many have raised doubts about the ability of the Iraqi security forces to undertake the challenging task of expelling IS from Mosul, Knights spoke of the Iraqi military's “powerful recovery” with its victories in Ramadi, Fallujah and Tikrit “without much involvement” by the Shiite paramilitary units, which are largely backed by neighboring Iran.
The Iraqi forces have now managed to cross the Tigris River in the area between the towns of Makhmur and Qayyarah, in southern Ninevah, and are currently battling the extremist organization on the western side of the river with the aim of liberating the town of Qayyarah after having seized the air base.
“After capturing the Qayyarah air base and other areas, we are certainly in a far stronger and better position now than we were in the past,” Bashar said. “IS fighters have been experiencing a major loss of morale, and our force's fighting capabilities are much better than theirs.”
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