US completes final phase of withdrawal from Iraqi Kurdistan

American forces are close to completing their withdrawal from Iraq’s Kurdistan region, with troops and equipment departing daily in preparation for the full exit of the international coalition from Iraqi territory by September 30, according to the timeline agreed by Baghdad and Washington.

An Iraqi security source told Al Arabiya/Al Hadath that US forces continue to withdraw from Kurdistan on a daily basis, noting that Iraqi forces are providing protection for the departing coalition convoys. The source added that the withdrawal of US forces from the region is expected to be completed before the end of this month.

The completion of the withdrawal does not mean the end of all US security arrangements in Erbil, as a missile defense system will remain in place to protect the US consulate in the city, according to the source.

This comes as the deadline for ending the US military presence in Iraq approaches on September 30, following the start of the withdrawal from US positions in Kurdistan in recent days.

In the same context, Kurdistan Regional Government Interior Minister Reber Ahmed said coalition forces are taking serious steps to withdraw, with troops and equipment being relocated outside Iraq on a daily basis.

The issue of air defense has come to the fore as the withdrawal nears completion. The United States has already begun removing air defense systems from Iraq ahead of the deadline, while Baghdad is working to strengthen its own defenses and secure alternatives to protect its airspace and vital facilities from missile and drone threats.

The withdrawal from Kurdistan is part of the final phase of a broader plan to end the international coalition’s mission in Iraq. US forces left bases in areas under federal government control last January, but maintained a presence in Kurdistan until the September deadline, according to the Associated Press.

Coinciding with the end of the coalition’s mission, the Iraqi government has set a date to disarm non-state armed groups, marking a new security challenge for Baghdad as the country transitions to the post-coalition era, according to Reuters.