Tall Afar Air Base

Tall Afar Air Base
FOB Tall Afar
Coordinates 36°17′04″N 042°24′17″E / 36.28444°N 42.40472°E / 36.28444; 42.40472 (Tall Afar AB)
Tall Afar AB
Location of Tall Afar Air Base, Iraq

Tall Afar Air Base is a former Iraqi Air Force base in the Nineveh Governorate of Iraq. It was captured by Coalition forces during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.

Overview

Tall Afar Air Base was a primary air base for the Iraqi Air Force. At each end of the main 10,000-foot runway are a dozen hardened aircraft shelters known as "Trapezoids" or "Yugos" which were built by Yugoslavian contractors some time prior to 1985 with multiple runways and taxiways, patterned after their Russian counterparts.

The base was heavily attacked by Coalition airpower during Operation Iraqi Freedom in March 2003, and seized by Coalition ground forces.

ISIL Use

The base was being used as a training camp for the ISIL's Knights of War Battalion.[1] [Expired Link] The Shiite militia Hashd al-Shaabi recaptured the air base in November 2016.[2]

References

  1. "Jihadists continue to advertise training camps in Iraq and Syria". The Long War Journal. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  2. "The Fight for Mosul: One Month On". CNN World. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
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