Iraq launches reconstruction of Tal Afar military airport
Shafaq News – Nineveh
On Saturday, Iraq’s Minister of Defense Thabet Al-Abbasi laid the foundation for a military airport in Tal Afar, Nineveh province.
In a statement, Al-Abbasi highlighted that the airport is intended to expand the operational reach of the armed forces, providing a base for rapid deployment and logistical support, while also enhancing infrastructure and opening new avenues for local transportation and trade.
برعاية القائد العام للقوات المسلحة، وبإشراف وحضور وزير الدفاع، السيد ثابت محمد سعيد العباسي، والسيد محافظ نينوى، عبد القادر الدخيل، جرى يوم السبت (11 تشرين الأول 2025) وضع حجر الأساس لمطار تلعفر العسكري.وخلال مراسم وضع حجر الأساس، أكد السيد وزير الدفاع، أن هذا المشروع الحيوي… pic.twitter.com/A9U4vhJgww
— وزارة الدفاع العراقية (@modmiliq) October 11, 2025
Referring to Tal Afar as a “symbol of resilience and sacrifice,” he emphasized that the airport will be constructed by “dedicated” Iraqi hands, adhering to the highest technical and engineering standards.
Located about 64 kilometers from the Iraqi-Syrian border, the airport was initially built in the mid-1980s by Yugoslav companies. It features a runway over three kilometers long and multiple reinforced aircraft shelters.
The facility suffered extensive bombing during the 2003 war and was later used by US forces as a military base until 2011, when control reverted to Iraqi authorities. In 2014, it fell to ISIS amid fierce fighting, before being fully recaptured by the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in November 2016.
