Latest news with #7thDivision
Shafaq News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Shafaq News
US to complete withdrawal from Ain al-Assad base in September
Shafaq News – Baghdad The last American soldier will leave Ain al-Assad airbase in western Al-Anbar province on September 15, an Iraqi security source said on Tuesday. The source added that a small number of US personnel, including senior officers, will stay in Baghdad as part of joint forces when required. The withdrawal began on Monday with the departure of the first convoy from Ain al-Assad toward Syria. The column included trucks carrying military vehicles, according to another security source. Ain al-Assad is Iraq's second-largest airbase after Balad, serving as the headquarters of the US Army's 7th Division. It lies about 10 kilometers from the town of al-Baghdadi in Al-Anbar province. Earlier, a spokesperson for the US Embassy in Baghdad told Shafaq News that the coalition will shift from a military mission in Iraq to a more traditional bilateral security partnership, emphasizing that coalition activities would continue under civilian leadership at the global level. A government source told Shafaq News that Baghdad and coalition members, led by the United States, agreed on a timeline ending coalition operations in September 2025, leading to a full withdrawal in September 2026. By then, fewer than 500 troops will remain in Erbil, while others will move to Kuwait.
Shafaq News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Shafaq News
US starts withdrawing from Iraq through Al-Anbar
Shafaq News – Al-Anbar The first phase of the US military withdrawal from Iraq has begun in western Al-Anbar province, a security source told Shafaq News on Monday. The source said a convoy departed Ain al-Asad Air Base carrying trucks loaded with military vehicles and is expected to move toward Syrian territory. Ain al-Asad, located about 10 kilometers from the town of al-Baghdadi, is Iraq's second-largest air base after Balad. It has served as a central hub for US forces and houses the command of the 7th Division. The withdrawal follows a 2022 Baghdad–Washington agreement that set September 2025 as the point to begin scaling down the US presence. Washington had returned troops to Iraq in 2014 at Baghdad's request to lead the Global Coalition against ISIS, a campaign that grew to 87 members. Initially focused on combat operations, the mission later shifted toward training, intelligence, and advisory support under Operation Inherent Resolve. Today, about 2,500 US troops remain in Iraq. The reduction comes amid renewed warnings from US officials of persistent ISIS activity, alongside growing Iraqi political demands for full sovereignty and continued pressure from pro-Iran armed factions within the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).
