Qayyarah

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Qayyarah
Qayyarah is located in Iraq
Qayyarah
Qayyarah
Coordinates: 35°47′47.0″N 43°17′36.0″E / 35.796389°N 43.293333°E / 35.796389; 43.293333Coordinates: 35°47′47.0″N 43°17′36.0″E / 35.796389°N 43.293333°E / 35.796389; 43.293333
Country Iraq
GovernorateNineveh
MunicipalityMosul District
Government
 • MayorSalah Hassan Hamid

Qayyarah or Qayara (Arabic: القيارة‎) is an Iraqi town located in southern Nineveh Governorate on the west bank of the Tigris river, and about 60 km (35 miles) south of Mosul.[1] It is located in the Mosul District, and it is the seat of Qayyarah subdistrict. It has a population of 15,000.[2] The town is located near the Qayyarah oil field and has an oil refinery on its south-western outskirts. The Qayyarah Airfield West is 20 kilometers west of the town.[3]

The town and subdistrict fell to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in June 2014. It was reported that its recapture was of strategic importance for the .[4] In August 2016, Qayyarah was fully captured by Iraqi forces, with Lieutenant General stating that they controlled all parts of the city and Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi hailing the capture of the city as a "key step in the fight" against ISIL.[5] In July 2016, the Pentagon said they were sending another 560 troops to Iraq, mainly to develop the Qayyarah airfield and use it as support for the planned attack on Mosul.[6] Following the town's liberation, members of the Jubur tribe from Qayyarah and surrounding villages formed the Popular Mobilization Forces' 39th Regiment (nicknamed "Commandos of al-Jubur" or "Lions of the Tigris") to fight against ISIL. This unit subsequently took part in the Battle of Mosul (2016–2017).[7]

The town's name derives from the Arabic word for tar.[citation needed]

Qayyarah has been known for its bitumen springs since at least the middle ages. Ibn Battuta passed through Qayyarah and described how its bitumen was exported to other towns; Shihab al-Din al-'Umari also noted that Qayyarah's bitumen springs produced a large revenue for the sultans.[8]

Notable people[]

References[]

  1. ^ Zebari, Abdelhamid (25 August 2016). "Iraq forces retake key town south of Mosul". AFP. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  2. ^ Giblin, Ruaidhrí (1 October 2016). "Retreating Isis fighters leave dark pall in their wake in Iraq". The Irish Times. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  3. ^ "Iraq: Iraqi forces liberate Alqayara air force base from ISIS". Arab 24. 11 July 2016. Archived from the original on 27 August 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2016. [...] the Qayara Air Force Base, located 20 km from the town of Qayara [...].
  4. ^ "Iraqi army launches offensive to push Isis out of Mosul". The Guardian. Reuters. 24 March 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
  5. ^ "Iraqi forces seize strategic town near Mosul from ISIL". Al Jazeera. 25 August 2016. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  6. ^ Lamothe, Dan; Morris, Loveday (2016-07-11). "Pentagon will send hundreds more troops to Iraq following seizure of key airfield". Washington Post. Retrieved 2016-09-14.
  7. ^ Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (6 September 2019). "Tribal Hashd of Ninawa: Interview with the 39th Regiment". Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  8. ^ al-Feel, Muhammad Rashid (1965). The historical geography of Iraq between the Mongolian and Ottoman conquests, 1258-1534, Vol. 1. Najaf: Al-Adab Press. p. 95. Retrieved 11 October 2020.

External links[]

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