US formally concludes mission in Iraq: Pentagon

The United States said Wednesday it had "formally concluded" its mission against jihadists in Iraq, following the withdrawal of troops from Erbil airbase in the Kurdistan region.

After more than a decade, the US-led coalition said it was ending its operation to fight the Islamic State (IS) group in Iraq and neighboring Syria.

The group, which seized large swathes of both countries and committed massacres and atrocities, was defeated in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019, but coalition forces stayed on to battle the group's remnants.

"Today, the United States and our Coalition partners formally concluded Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq, consistent with the September 2024 US-Iraq joint statement and US national interests," the Pentagon's chief spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement.

"The orderly departure of Coalition forces and equipment from Erbil Air Base marks the successful conclusion of the military mission that defeated ISIS in Iraq," he said.

Baghdad and Washington agreed in 2024 to wind down the coalition's mission, and its troops withdrew gradually from bases across the country, restricting their presence to the autonomous northern Kurdistan region.

The Iraqi government believes the coalition's withdrawal removes the excuse powerful Iran-backed militant factions have used to retain their weapons.