The US-led coalition against Daesh has finished its combat mission in Iraq and will shift to a training and advisory role
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al Kadhimi and US President Biden sealed an agreement in July to end the US combat mission in Iraq.
Iraq's national security adviser Qasim al Aaraji said on Thursday that the combat mission had ended on schedule ahead of the end of the year and that combat troops were to withdraw. In effect, some 2,500 US and 1,000 coalition troops deployed in Iraq will remain there. They have been acting as advisers and trainers since mid-2020.
US President Joe Biden and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al Kadhimi sealed an agreement in July to formally end the US combat mission in Iraq by the end of 2021.Western security and diplomatic officials say that calling the shift a withdrawal is misleading because it changes little in terms of the number of forces based in Iraq.