This file photo shows a military parade conducted by the Iraqi army.
The withdrawal of international coalition forces from Iraq is gathering pace and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, Iraqi military spokesman Sabah al-Numan said on Aug. 26.
The withdrawal is being coordinated with Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s office and is proceeding according to an agreed timetable, al-Numan told Al-Iraqiya TV.
German forces recently completed their withdrawal from Erbil after taking part in the U.S.-led international coalition formed in 2014 to fight the ISIL terror group.
The drawdown was coordinated directly with the prime minister’s office, which is overseeing the movement of departing forces and equipment.
Facilities previously used by German forces at Erbil airport will be handed over to airport authorities, while other military sites will be transferred to the Peshmerga forces, he said.
The handover follows the transfer of other former coalition bases, including Ain al-Asad and Balad, to Iraq’s Defense Ministry after the coalition ended its missions there, al-Numan stated.
Iraq announced in January that it had completed the first phase of its plan to end the coalition’s mission after U.S. forces withdrew from Ain al-Asad air base in western Anbar province and handed the facility over to Iraqi forces.
The second and final phase, which will continue until Sept. 30, has begun and includes supporting counter-ISIL operations in Syria from Erbil.
Al-Numan said the prime minister had also ordered the formation of a committee to determine the nature of Iraq’s relationship with coalition countries after Sept. 30. Future cooperation will focus on intelligence sharing, information exchange and weapons programs.
