Iraq: US-led coalition troops have ended mission, left country

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Iraq said on Friday that combat forces of a US-led coalition fighting the Daesh [ISIS] extremist group had ended a combat mission and left the country.

“The mission of the coalition is now limited to advice and support, per the outcome of the Strategic Dialogue,” the Iraqi government said on Twitter.

There are no longer any foreign combat troops in Iraq, it added.

Earlier this year, Iraq and the United States agreed to move the coalition forces to a non-combat role.

The anti-Daesh coalition on Friday confirmed that its combat role ended in Iraq and that it would provide advice to the Iraqi army and the Peshmerga security forces of Iraq’s autonomous region.

“With our combat role complete, we’re proud to #AdviseAssistEnable the ISF [Iraqi Security Forces] and Peshmerga as invited guests of the Republic of Iraq,” the coalition said on Twitter.

The anti-Daesh alliance was founded after the radical group overran large swathes of northern Iraq and neighbouring Syria.

While the group lost its territory, it still carries out attacks in both countries.

Iraq declared victory over the Daesh [ISIS] in December 2017.