Visit of the U.S. Commander of Middle East Operations to Key Mosul Battle Base

General Joseph Votel, commander of the U.S. Central Command, visited the Qayyarah airbase near Mosul on the night of Tuesday, October 25. This base is said to have 'vital' importance in the operation to retake the city of Mosul, which has entered its second week. It is still unclear how long this operation will last. Iraqi security forces and Kurdish Peshmerga are advancing towards the city. General Votel, who traveled to Qayyarah on a Hercules transport aircraft, stated that this base is where the resources and equipment for the forces engaged against the 'Islamic State' will be supplied, and Iraqi forces will be present there: 'Empowering Iraqi forces in their battles is vital, and this airbase plays a very important role.' Operations to control Qayyarah began last spring, and surrounding areas were cleared of ISIS militants. The preparation of this base as the heart of the operation and its support has continued over the past months. Qayyarah is located in the south of Nineveh province, 60 kilometers from Mosul and 115 kilometers from Baiji. Ashton Carter, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, also mentioned in July the reconstruction of Qayyarah airbase and its equipping as one of the important centers for the Mosul retaking operations. The U.S. has sent over 500 of its troops and military personnel to this area. According to AFP, several coalition forces against ISIS from France and a small team from the UK are also present at this base alongside Iraqi military forces. U.S. forces are firing at ISIS positions from Qayyarah; this image was published by the U.S. Army from an operation on October 17. General Votel was accompanied by Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend during his visit to Qayyarah: the senior official responsible for training and support for Iraqi security forces and Kurdish Peshmerga. Mr. Townsend stated that the militants of the group known as the 'Islamic State' have utilized an 'extraordinary' volume of 'indirect fire' - shooting without the target being in direct line of sight or view of the attacker. Mortars, rockets, and artillery have been used in these attacks. According to this American commander, the number of car bombs has also been 'extraordinary.' According to Stephen Townsend, the extremist militants have resorted to a new method of suicide car bombings by hiding behind walls or inside structures, so that instead of driving the vehicles in open areas where they can be targeted by missiles, the bombers suddenly drive the vehicles towards Iraqi forces at the last moment. Reports indicate that as Iraqi security forces and Peshmerga advance towards Mosul, ISIS militants have resorted to setting fire to oil wells or vehicle tires to reduce their visibility. Extremists also set fire to a sulfur factory, which reportedly caused some soldiers to use gas masks at Qayyarah base. However, with opposing winds on Tuesday, the smoke from this fire has cleared the area. In this context, Iraqi forces have 'reached five kilometers from Mosul.'