K-1 Air Base, or Kaywan, is a former

Iraqi Air Force The Iraqi Air Force (IQAF or IrAF) ( ar, القوات الجوية العراقية, Al Quwwat al Jawwiyah al Iraqiyyah}) is the aerial warfare service branch of the Iraqi Armed Forces. It is responsible for the defense of Iraqi airspace as well ...

base and military base in the Kirkuk Governorate of

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

. It was captured by Coalition forces during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, later served as the headquarters of the 12th Division of the

Iraqi Army The Iraqi Ground Forces ( Arabic: القوات البرية العراقية), or the Iraqi Army ( Arabic: الجيش العراقي), is the ground force component of the Iraqi Armed Forces. It was known as the Royal Iraqi Army up until the co ...

. In 2014 it was taken over by the Kurdish

Peshmerga The Peshmerga ( ku, پێشمەرگه, Pêşmerge, lit=those who face death) is the Kurdish military forces of the autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq. According to the Constitution of Iraq, the Peshmerga, along with their security subsidiarie ...

. On October 16, 2017, the base was taken back by Iraqi special forces during the

Battle of Kirkuk The Battle of Kirkuk may refer to several historical battles over several conflicts: * Battle of Kirkuk (1733) during the Ottoman–Persian War (1730–35) * Battle of Kirkuk (1991), part of the 1991 uprisings in Iraq * Battle of Kirkuk (2014), par ...

History

K-1 was a primary air base for the

prior to Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Iraq war 2003–2011

It was used as a Contingency Operating Location by the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

after the 2003 U.S. invasion. During the American presence in Iraq, U.S. and Iraqi forces used training centers at K1 as hubs for combined instruction between U.S. soldiers and various units of Iraqi Security Forces, including Iraqi Army infantry and route clearance units. "This base will eventually be turned over from Location Command to the 12th Division," said Hall. “The 12th IA is planning on using the K1 facility to support a new tank regiment that is forming. The regiment is not on the ground yet, but it is in the working for the future.” Soldiers of Company C, 1st Brigade Special Troops Battalion and 101st Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Advise and Assist Task Force,

1st Infantry Division 1st Division may refer to: Military Airborne divisions *1st Parachute Division (Germany) *1st Airborne Division (United Kingdom) *1st Airmobile Division (Ukraine) *1st Guards Airborne Division Armoured divisions *1st Armoured Division (Australi ...

, vacated and transferred control of Contingency Operating Location K1 to Iraq Security Forces, July 25, 2011.

2014–present

During the

Northern Iraq offensive (August 2014) Between 1 and 15 August 2014, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) expanded territory in northern Iraq under their control. In the region north and west from Mosul, the Islamic State conquered Zumar, Sinjar, Wana, Mosul Dam, Q ...

by the

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant An Islamic state is a state that has a form of government based on Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a translation of the Arabic term ...

, the 12th Division of the

, consisting of over 12,000 soldiers, fled this base. It was briefly captured by the Islamic State but they were swiftly pushed out by the Kurdish

. During this period the base suffered looting both by IS and local residents. The base has since hosted military personnel from multiple countries participating in the coalition war against the

, including Americans, Italians, French, Norwegians and others. There are reportedly American soldiers present at the base, training and advising Peshmerga. On May 7, 2017, at least two soldiers were killed and six injured when multiple Islamic State suicide bombers attacked the base. On October 16, 2017 the base was taken back from Kurdish control by Iraqi special forces during the Battle of Kirkuk (2017). On December 27, 2019, around 7:20 pm, a rocket attack targeting the base killed a U.S. civilian contractor and wounded several American and Iraqi personnel. The attack was suspected to be conducted by Iran-backed militants of

Kata'ib Hezbollah Kata'ib Hezbollah ( ar, كتائب حزب الله, lit=Battalions of the Party of God)—or the Hezbollah Battalions—is a radical Iraqi Shiite paramilitary group which is part of the Popular Mobilization Forces backed by Iran. During the I ...

. That led to retaliatory airstrikes conducted by

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

in Iraq and Syria, killing 25 Kata'ib Hezbollah militiamen. The United States Army left the air base on March 29, 2020.

References

External links

*Spc. Justin Naylor, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs
Iraqi Army opens new center for engineers, November 13, 2009
{{authority control Army installations of Iraq Iraqi Air Force bases Kirkuk Governorate