Italy completes troop withdrawal from Iraq

ROME, Sept 29 - Italy on Tuesday completed the withdrawal of its last troops from Iraq, ending a 12-year military presence in the country, a defence ministry statement said.

• Rome had already recalled most of its personnel from Iraq by March 2026, after an overnight air strike targeted a military base in the Kurdistan region.

• Italian forces took part in the U.S.-led Operation Inherent Resolve against Islamic State and in NATO Mission Iraq, a non-combat advisory and capacity-building mission.

• The statement said Italian and NATO forces had agreed with local authorities to leave the area by Sept. 30.

• Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said the withdrawal marked a transition towards greater Iraqi responsibility for its own security.

• Two Italian Carabinieri officers will remain in Iraq under the European Union's EUAM Iraq mission, which operates with the Iraqi government's approval, the ministry said. REUTERS