Iraq officially announces the end of the first phase of the mission of the international coalition against ISIS

Iraq has announced the end of the first phase of the Global Coalition’s mission to fight ISIS in the country, by evacuating military bases and command headquarters from coalition advisers.

This came in a statement by the Supreme Military Committee to end the coalition’s mission on Sunday evening, according to the official Iraqi News Agency.

“Today, we announce with pride and pride the completion of the evacuation of all military bases and command headquarters in Iraq’s official federal areas from the advisors of the Global Coalition to Fight ISIS in Iraq,” the committee said.

This step was made “by leaving the few of them who were left at the Ain al-Asad air base (in Anbar province/west) and the headquarters of the Joint Operations Command, so that these sites are under the full management of the Iraqi forces,” it said.

On Saturday, the Iraqi Ministry of Defense announced the withdrawal of US forces from the Ain al Asad base, and that the country’s army would take over the full management of the base.

“The first phase of the Global Coalition’s military mission to fight ISIS in Iraq in the official federal areas has ended, and we have now moved to the phase of the bilateral security relationship with the United States.

This relationship will focus on activating the memorandums of understanding for military co-operation and developing the capabilities of our armed forces in the fields of equipping, arming, training, exercises, maneuvers and joint operations, to ensure their continued readiness and the fight against ISIS.

The second phase of the Global Coalition to Combat ISIS mission has begun in neighboring Syria, and coordination with the coalition will continue to defeat the full presence of ISIS in Syria, to ensure that these outposts don’t affect our national security.

The coalition’s role in providing transitory logistical support for their operations in Syria through their presence at an air base in Erbil (northern Iraq).

The Iraqi army will also carry out operations against ISIS, in conjunction with the United States, from Ain al Asad air base when necessary.

On September 27, 2024, Washington and Baghdad announced, in a joint statement, that they had reached agreement on a two-phase plan to end the coalition’s missions in Iraq.

The first phase was scheduled to be completed by September, and included the end of the coalition’s military mission, including the withdrawal of troops, the handover of bases, and the transition to a bilateral security partnership.

The second phase runs until September 2026, during which the coalition’s military mission in Syria (recently joined the coalition) continues from a platform in Iraq (an air base in Erbil).

The United States leads the coalition, which includes countries including France and Spain, and was formed in 2014 to fight ISIS, which at the time controlled large swathes of Iraq and Syria.

On December 10, 2017, then-Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al Abadi announced the achievement of victory over ISIS, after three years of fierce war.

However, the group continues to operate in northern, western and eastern provinces through occasional attacks, while the government carries out security and military operations to eliminate its remnants.