US withdraws troops from Iraq

This will mark the end of the American troop presence that began with the 2003 invasion against Saddam Hussein, ABC News reports.

In 2024, Washington and Baghdad agreed to gradually wind down significantly smaller US-led operations against the Islamic State group.

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Last year, US troops withdrew from bases in most regions of Iraq but maintained a presence in the semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region. Since the US and Israel launched their war against Iran on February 28, bases in this region have come under regular attack.

On Wednesday, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi met with Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command. After the meeting, al-Zaidi set September 30 as the final deadline for the end of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS in Iraq's military mission and the completion of its troop withdrawal.

One US official confirmed that the US expects to complete the troop withdrawal by September 30, but declined to say how many troops remain in Iraq or where they will be redeployed.

"The United States, Iraq, and coalition partners have achieved tremendous success in defeating ISIS, and now Iraqi security forces, including the Peshmerga and other Iraqi Kurdistan security forces, will lead the fight against terrorists in Iraq," the official said.

Two Iraqi Kurdish officials said the withdrawal of US troops and military equipment from Erbil began about three weeks ago.

The Iraqi government is unlikely to meet the deadline for disarming non-state groups. Some of the country's most powerful Iranian-backed armed groups have stated that they do not intend to surrender their arms.

Photo: Focus.

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