US military completes withdrawal of troops from Iraq after 12-year mission

The US military has completed the withdrawal of American forces and equipment from Erbil Air Base in Iraq, ending its Operation Inherent Resolve mission, US Central Command announced Wednesday.The departure closes the Iraq chapter of the U.S.-led military mission launched against ISIS in 2014, while shifting primary responsibility for the country's security to Iraqi forces.The broader counter-ISIS campaign is not ending, however, with the U.S.-led task force relocating its headquarters to Jordan and operations continuing in Syria."Job well done to the tens of thousands of American service members, diplomats, and civilian personnel who answered the call in Iraq," CENTCOM commander Adm.

Brad Cooper said.US SERVICE MEMBER KILLED IN IRAQ AS TROOPS RECOVER UNIDENTIFIED REMAINS IN JORDAN: CENTCOMSoldiers from the US-led coalition forces are seen during the handover of the K1 Air Base to the Iraqi Army from the US-led coalition in Kirkuk, Iraq on March 29, 2020.(Soldiers from the US-led coalition forces are seen during the handover of the K1 Air Base to the Iraqi Army from the US-led coalition in Kirkuk, Iraq on March 29, 2020)"Because of your grit, sacrifice and professionalism, ISIS no longer poses a systemic threat to Iraq’s national security and Iraqi security forces, including the Peshmerga and other Iraqi Kurdistan Region security forces, now possess the capacity, leadership, and operational independence to unilaterally manage threats to their homeland."Erbil Air Base in northern Iraq served as the main operational hub for Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve and hosted most of the roughly 1,500 American and Coalition forces supporting counter-ISIS operations, according to CENTCOM.U.S.

and Coalition forces began leaving federal Iraq last October as Washington and Baghdad moved toward a bilateral defense relationship.The final removal of personnel and equipment from Erbil completed that transition on Sept.

30.Adm.Charles Bradford "Brad" Cooper II...