The last British and American troops have left Iraq, bringing the international coalition’s military mission against Islamic State to an end after more than a decade of operations in the country.
Around 100 remaining UK personnel departed Erbil in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region alongside US forces on Wednesday, completing a withdrawal agreed between Washington and Baghdad. The departure marks the conclusion of Operation Inherent Resolve, the coalition mission launched in 2014 to help Iraqi forces defeat Islamic State, also known as Daesh.
The UK Ministry of Defence said Iraqi Security Forces and the Kurdish Peshmerga had achieved the group’s enduring territorial defeat in Iraq and were now positioned to take primary responsibility for the country’s security.
“Following more than a decade of operations, training and capacity building,” the ministry said, Iraq and its international partners could now begin a new phase of security cooperation under Iraqi leadership.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi described the end of the coalition’s military mission as a transition to a period in which Iraq would assume full responsibility for its security and stability. Iraq plans to mark the withdrawal with four national “Sovereignty Days”.
Coalition Support Ends as Security Challenges Remain
The Iraqi government declared the military defeat of Islamic State in 2017, but coalition forces remained to prevent the group from rebuilding its presence.
The UK said its forces had trained and supported more than 111,000 members of the Iraqi Security Forces, including more than 21,000 Peshmerga fighters. The Royal Air Force also carried out thousands of sorties and struck more than 2,300 Islamic State targets.
The Pentagon said the United States would continue providing targeted training and intelligence support to Iraqi partners after the withdrawal. The US-led coalition’s joint task force has now moved to Jordan, while American forces will continue counter-Islamic State operations in neighbouring Syria.
Despite the group’s territorial defeat, Islamic State remnants remain a security concern. The Iraqi government must also contend with powerful Iran-aligned armed groups operating in the country. Al-Zaidi, who took office in May, has pledged to bring all weapons under state control and disarm militias outside government authority. However, several influential factions have resisted the plan.
The withdrawal also comes after months of heightened regional tensions. US and UK forces at Erbil faced repeated drone and missile attacks attributed to Iran-aligned militias during the conflict involving Iran. British personnel stationed at the base reportedly shot down more than 100 drones during the first six weeks of that conflict.
