U.S. Troops Leave al-Asad Air Base in Iraq
The United States has completed its withdrawal from Iraq’s al-Asad Air Base, the Iraqi Defense Ministry said Saturday. The departure of the troops ends more than two decades of American military presence in federal Iraq, which excludes the Kurdistan region in the north.
The ministry said Iraqi forces have assumed full control of the base, with the Iraqi army’s chief of staff overseeing the transfer of responsibilities.
The withdrawal follows a September 2024 agreement between Washington and Baghdad to wind down the U.S.-led coalition formed to combat the Islamic State. While the agreement set a target date of September 2025 for a full withdrawal, a small contingent of roughly 250 to 350 U.S. advisers remained at al-Asad amid instability in neighboring Syria.
Despite the drawdown, the United States is continuing counter-ISIS operations in the region. President Donald Trump and Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa discussed developments in Syria earlier this week and agreed to cooperate on anti-terrorism measures. U.S. and partner forces recently conducted large-scale strikes against ISIS targets in Syria under “Operation Hawkeye Strike,” launched after a December attack that killed two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter.
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