WASHINGTON: US and allied forces are reducing their presence in Iraq as part of a planned wind-down of their mission against the Islamic State jihadist group.
The Pentagon confirmed the drawdown on Wednesday, marking the end of a more than decade-long military operation against the extremist organisation.
Washington and Baghdad had agreed last year that the international coalition against IS would end its military mission in Iraq by the end of September 2025.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated this reduction reflects combined success in fighting ISIS and marks a transition to a lasting US-Iraq security partnership.
He added that the US government will continue close coordination with the government of Iraq and coalition members to ensure a responsible transition.
A senior defence official confirmed that the coalition is currently in the process of transitioning to the new arrangement.
The official revealed that when complete, there will be fewer than 2,000 troops in Iraq total, with a majority stationed in Arbil, the capital of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region.
According to the anonymous official, US troops are no longer necessary in federal Iraq to conduct counter-ISIS missions because Iraq is eminently capable of handling this itself.
The troops remaining in Arbil will be primarily focused on supporting operations in neighbouring Syria.
Baghdad and Washington have agreed that international troops can support anti-IS operations in Syria from Iraq’s Kurdistan region through September 2026.
Parnell had separately announced in April that the United States would roughly halve the number of troops it has deployed in Syria.
The senior defence official confirmed that troop numbers in Syria are now down from 2,000 but remain more than 900, without providing an exact figure.
Despite major defeats in both Iraq and Syria, IS still maintains some fighters in the countryside of both countries.
US forces continue to carry out periodic strikes and raids to help prevent the group’s resurgence in the region. – AFP