"The battle against Daesh (ISIS) has ended and so the level of the American presence will be reduced," Iraqi government spokesman Saad al-Hadithi said, according to AP.
This does not mark the beginning of a complete US withdrawal, al-Hadithi stressed, saying the drawdown is only in its early stages. According to AP, an official close to Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said up to 60 per cent of US forces could soon be withdrawn.
According to a Pentagon report in November, there were 8,892 US troops in Iraq as of last September. The planned reduction would leave a force of roughly 4,000.
US Army Colonel Ryan Dillon, spokesperson for the US-led coalition against ISIS, sought to reassure allies on Monday afternoon that the US would not be making a premature departure.
He tweeted the coalition's presence in Iraq "will be conditions-based, proportional to the need, and in coordination with the Iraqi government."
Coalition troops would continue to train, equip and provide intelligence to its Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) partners for the foreseeable future, he added.
.@CJTFOIR presence in #Iraq will be conditions-based, proportional to the need, and in coordination w/ the @IraqiGovt. @Coalition still training, equipping, providing intel, and assisting our #ISF partners to #defeatDaesh. https://t.co/ebF8uTZNjX
— OIR Spokesman (@OIRSpox) February 5, 2018
US forces first launched airstrikes against ISIS positions in Iraq in August 2014 when Baghdad formally requested their support. ISIS had seized vast areas of the country, including Iraq's second largest city, Mosul.
Now that conventional combat operations are complete and Mosul has been retaken, the priority for Iraqis has shifted to border security and local policing and the coalition is focused on providing training specialized in those areas in order to prevent ISIS from reforming into an effective network.
"We're clear the enemy is still capable of offensive action and retains the ability to plan and inspire attacks worldwide," said coalition director of operations, Brig. Gen. Jonathan Braga, in a published statement announcing a shift in focus in Iraq.
"Although OIR's [Operation Inherent Resolve] force composition may change over time to ensure we have the best forces on hand for the task, we will retain an appropriate amount of capabilities as well as an advisory presence to continue training, advising and equipping our partners in the continued fight against Daesh [ISIS], all with the approval of the Government of Iraq," Braga added.
With the drawdown in Iraq, Western contractors told AP that US personnel and equipment will be redeployed to Afghanistan, where US President Donald Trump has said he plans to bolster Kabul's war against ISIS and the resurgent Taliban.
Updated at 9:22 pm
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