But that can't happen yet because Qayara base has come under frequent rocket fire from IS fighters in the area. Iraqi officials have estimated that upgrading the Qayara base could take four to six weeks, once the area around it is secured. Tel Afar, a mostly Shiite town some 70 kilometers (about 44 miles) west of Mosul, would be a likely target for the militias. They include Makhmour east of Mosul, Taqaddum and Assad west of Baghdad and Taji just north of the Iraqi capital. Retaking Mosul would be far more significant, robbing the IS of the jewel of its self-declared caliphate.

Source: Fox News July 31, 2016 10:18 UTC