403
Sorry!!
Error! We're sorry, but the page you were looking for doesn't exist.
Coalition Troops Set to Fully Exit Iraq by Sept. 30, Officials Say
(MENAFN) The pullout of international coalition forces from Iraq is accelerating and remains on track for full completion by Sept. 30, Iraqi military spokesman Sabah al-Numan said Wednesday.
Al-Numan told a broadcaster — in remarks relayed by the Iraqi News Agency (INA) — that the withdrawal is being managed in direct coordination with the office of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, who also serves as commander in chief of Iraq's armed forces, and that the process is unfolding according to a pre-agreed schedule.
Among the latest developments, German troops have wrapped up their departure from Erbil in northern Iraq, closing out their role in the US-led international coalition that was established in 2014 to combat the ISIS (Daesh) terror network, al-Numan said. German forces had been based in Erbil since 2015, where their work centered on training Iraqi and Peshmerga fighters, running weapons programs, and conducting aerial reconnaissance — a mission that formally ended Wednesday.
According to al-Numan, the drawdown is being directly coordinated with the prime minister's office, which is overseeing the movement of exiting troops and equipment via both land and air routes.
Infrastructure once occupied by German forces at Erbil International Airport will be turned over to airport authorities, while additional military installations will pass into the hands of Peshmerga forces, al-Numan said. This handover mirrors earlier transfers of former coalition bases — including Ain al-Asad and Balad — to Iraq's Defense Ministry once coalition operations there concluded, he noted.
Iraq had already announced in January that it completed the first phase of its plan to wind down the coalition's mission, following the US withdrawal from Ain al-Asad air base in western Anbar province and the facility's handover to Iraqi command.
The second and final phase — running through Sept. 30, 2026 — is now underway and includes continued support for counter-ISIS operations in Syria staged out of Erbil, al-Numan said.
He added that the prime minister has ordered the creation of a dedicated committee tasked with defining the future shape of Iraq's relationship with coalition member states once the Sept. 30 deadline passes. Going forward, cooperation is expected to center on sustained coordination — particularly intelligence sharing, information exchange, and joint weapons programs, he said.
The broader roadmap to conclude the coalition's mission traces back to a joint agreement announced by Baghdad and Washington in September 2024, which laid out a phased shift from coalition-led military operations toward bilateral security partnerships with member nations, with full completion targeted for September 2026.
Al-Numan said departing forces continue to follow strict security protocols, maintaining ongoing coordination to safeguard travel routes and destinations. All troop movements require official approval and are documented in daily reports submitted to the commander in chief.
The US-led coalition was originally formed in 2014 in response to ISIS's seizure of large swaths of territory across Iraq and Syria. Iraq declared full territorial recapture from the group in December 2017, though ISIS has continued to stage intermittent attacks in the years since.
Al-Numan told a broadcaster — in remarks relayed by the Iraqi News Agency (INA) — that the withdrawal is being managed in direct coordination with the office of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, who also serves as commander in chief of Iraq's armed forces, and that the process is unfolding according to a pre-agreed schedule.
Among the latest developments, German troops have wrapped up their departure from Erbil in northern Iraq, closing out their role in the US-led international coalition that was established in 2014 to combat the ISIS (Daesh) terror network, al-Numan said. German forces had been based in Erbil since 2015, where their work centered on training Iraqi and Peshmerga fighters, running weapons programs, and conducting aerial reconnaissance — a mission that formally ended Wednesday.
According to al-Numan, the drawdown is being directly coordinated with the prime minister's office, which is overseeing the movement of exiting troops and equipment via both land and air routes.
Infrastructure once occupied by German forces at Erbil International Airport will be turned over to airport authorities, while additional military installations will pass into the hands of Peshmerga forces, al-Numan said. This handover mirrors earlier transfers of former coalition bases — including Ain al-Asad and Balad — to Iraq's Defense Ministry once coalition operations there concluded, he noted.
Iraq had already announced in January that it completed the first phase of its plan to wind down the coalition's mission, following the US withdrawal from Ain al-Asad air base in western Anbar province and the facility's handover to Iraqi command.
The second and final phase — running through Sept. 30, 2026 — is now underway and includes continued support for counter-ISIS operations in Syria staged out of Erbil, al-Numan said.
He added that the prime minister has ordered the creation of a dedicated committee tasked with defining the future shape of Iraq's relationship with coalition member states once the Sept. 30 deadline passes. Going forward, cooperation is expected to center on sustained coordination — particularly intelligence sharing, information exchange, and joint weapons programs, he said.
The broader roadmap to conclude the coalition's mission traces back to a joint agreement announced by Baghdad and Washington in September 2024, which laid out a phased shift from coalition-led military operations toward bilateral security partnerships with member nations, with full completion targeted for September 2026.
Al-Numan said departing forces continue to follow strict security protocols, maintaining ongoing coordination to safeguard travel routes and destinations. All troop movements require official approval and are documented in daily reports submitted to the commander in chief.
The US-led coalition was originally formed in 2014 in response to ISIS's seizure of large swaths of territory across Iraq and Syria. Iraq declared full territorial recapture from the group in December 2017, though ISIS has continued to stage intermittent attacks in the years since.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any
responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos,
licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues
related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Comments
No comment