Italy on Tuesday completed the withdrawal of its last troops from Iraq, ending a 12-year military presence in the country, a defence ministry statement said.
Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said the withdrawal marked a transition towards greater Iraqi responsibility for its own security © Mena Today
Italy on Tuesday completed the withdrawal of its last troops from Iraq, ending a 12-year military presence in the country, a defence ministry statement said.
Rome had already recalled most of its personnel from Iraq by March 2026, after an overnight air strike targeted a military base in the Kurdistan region.
Italian forces took part in the U.S.-led Operation Inherent Resolve against Islamic State and in NATO Mission Iraq, a non-combat advisory and capacity-building mission.
The statement said Italian and NATO forces had agreed with local authorities to leave the area by Sept. 30.
Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said the withdrawal marked a transition towards greater Iraqi responsibility for its own security.
Two Italian Carabinieri officers will remain in Iraq under the European Union's EUAM Iraq mission, which operates with the Iraqi government's approval, the ministry said.
Reporting by Angelo Amante
Turkey and Iraq agreed on Wednesday for Turkish forces to hand over a military camp in northern Iraq to the Iraqi government gradually, they said after talks in New York, adding they also agreed to end the presence of "outlawed armed elements" in northern Iraq.
An explosion was heard Sunday near Erbil airport in northern Iraq's Kurdistan region, where troops from the US-led anti-jihadist coalition remain stationed.
An Iraqi court on Sunday opened the trial of six French nationals accused of belonging to Islamic State, with a member of the Supreme Judicial Council telling the court that the suspects could face the death penalty if convicted of crimes committed against Iraq and the Iraqi people.
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