The United States military has completed the withdrawal of all its troops from Iraq, bringing to an end a 12-year mission focused on fighting the Islamic State group.
The final American troops departed an air base in Irbil, northern Iraq, on Wednesday under an agreement reached between the governments of Iraq and the United States.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the troops and military equipment had made an “orderly departure” from the air base in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region.
“This milestone reflects the success of a 12-year campaign that defeated ISIS as an organized military threat in Iraq and across the region,” he said.
“It also marks a transition from a wartime coalition mission to an Iraqi-led security effort supported by a more normal bilateral security relationship.”
Parnell added that the US military would remain involved in supporting Iraq’s security efforts despite the troop withdrawal.
He said, “will continue to provide targeted training and intelligence support to our Iraqi partners.”
The withdrawal comes amid the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran, which has at times spilled into Iraq, with Iran-backed armed groups attacking US forces and Washington carrying out strikes against militia strongholds.
Iraqi authorities described the end of the US mission as a reflection of the country’s growing strength and sovereignty. Iran-backed groups also welcomed the withdrawal.
However, the move has raised concerns in Iraq’s Kurdish region, where some fear that the departure of American troops could create room for a resurgence of Islamic State activities and further attacks by Iran-linked armed groups.
The development has also renewed questions over the future of Iraqi militias, which the Baghdad government has been seeking to disarm, with limited success so far.
