CAIRO, July 8. /TASS/. The contingent of the international coalition led by the United States will withdraw from the Iraqi Ain al-Asad airbase in the Anbar province very soon, Iraqi TV channel As-Sumaria reported.

According to a source in the provincial security services, "the forces of the international coalition are preparing for a complete withdrawal of their troops from the Ain al-Asad airbase. This will happen in the coming days."

The Ain al-Asad base has so far hosted the bulk of American forces in Iraq, which are part of the international coalition. The base has been repeatedly shelled and attacked from the air by radical groups operating in Iraq.

On July 2, Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammed al-Sudani said the international coalition would complete its tasks and end its mission in September 2026. He noted that the Iraqi authorities are currently negotiating with the coalition countries "a transition to bilateral security relations."

In 2020, the Iraqi parliament passed a resolution demanding a complete withdrawal of all foreign forces from the republic. In March 2021, the Iraqi authorities said that the number of American troops in the republic did not exceed 2,500. In December, 2021, the General Staff of the Iraqi Armed Forces said the international coalition had withdrawn its troops from the country, but maintained a presence at the level of military advisers.