The United States has completed the withdrawal of its remaining military personnel from Iraq, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fawad Hussein said on Monday.
Hussein said the withdrawal was carried out in line with an agreement between Baghdad and Washington and marked the end of the US-led international coalition's military mission in the country.
The announcement came two days ahead of the September 30 deadline previously set for the completion of the withdrawal.
According to Safir, a Middle Eastern media outlet, the departure followed the conclusion of the coalition's military mission against the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS.
“The withdrawal of American forces has taken place while the Iraqi government is trying to transfer full security responsibility to Iraqi forces after the end of the coalition's military presence and continue security and defence cooperation within the framework of bilateral relations,” the report said.
The United States and Iraq reached an agreement in 2024 to wind down the US-led military mission against ISIS.
The Associated Press had reported in August that the US military was on course to withdraw all its forces from Iraq by the end of September, bringing to a close a military presence that dates back to the 2003 US-led invasion.
AP quoted Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi as saying that September 30 remained the “fixed and final date for ending the military mission of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS in Iraq and completing the departure of its forces.”
A US official also confirmed at the time that Washington expected the withdrawal to be completed by the deadline, although the official did not disclose the number of troops still stationed in Iraq or where they would be redeployed.
The official said the United States, Iraq and coalition partners had made significant progress in defeating ISIS, adding that Iraqi security forces, including the Peshmerga and other security forces in the Kurdistan Region, would take the lead in countering terrorist threats in the country.
Earlier on Monday, The National reported that US troops were still scheduled to leave Iraq on Wednesday, with the withdrawal expected to pave the way for a bilateral relationship focused on advisory support, training and intelligence sharing.
The latest development formally ends the US military presence that began with the 2003 invasion.
American forces withdrew from Iraq in 2011 but returned three years later after ISIS seized large areas of the country. The subsequent US-led mission focused on combating the militant group and supporting Iraqi security forces.
Hussein's announcement indicates that the remaining US troops have now departed Iraqi territory ahead of the previously announced September 30 deadline.
Leave a Reply