Khaberni - The Iraqi Ministry of Defense announced today, Saturday, the withdrawal of American forces from Ain al-Assad Air Base, which had housed American-led coalition forces in the west of the country, after the Iraqi army took full control of it.
A statement from the Ministry of Defense, according to the Iraqi News Agency, said that "the Army Chief of Staff, First Special Forces Corner General Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah, supervised today the distribution of tasks and duties among the military types and formations at Ain al-Assad base, following the withdrawal of American forces and the complete takeover of the base by the Iraqi army".
Washington and Baghdad had reached an understanding in 2024 regarding the plans for the withdrawal of US-led coalition forces from Iraq. The exact date when the United States began withdrawing its forces is unknown, however, the original plan stipulated that hundreds of soldiers would leave by September 2025, and the rest would leave by the end of 2026.
The base hosted American forces and coalition forces for years and was repeatedly attacked by armed factions allied with Iran during periods of tension in the region, including the period following the United States' assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in 2020.
An Iraqi army colonel pointed out that a small number of military personnel remained due to some logistical problems, but he did not provide further details for security reasons.
Meanwhile, the Iraqi Ministry of Defense announced on its Facebook page that the Chief of Staff was accompanied during his visit to the base by his deputy for operations, the commanders of the ground and air forces, Army Aviation, the deputy director of military intelligence, the head of the Security Media Cell, the director of the sample division, and the director of the media division.
Furthermore, Yarallah followed the stages of taking over the security file through his field supervision of the distribution of types and formations inside the base, represented by the 65th Special Forces Brigade and its battalions, in addition to distributing the headquarters especially belonging to the Air Force and Army Aviation commands.
He inspected all the sections of the base with the aim of securing service facilities, infrastructure, administrative and logistical aspects, and ensuring the readiness level to execute designated duties perfectly.
The army chief also directed relevant authorities at the base to intensify efforts and enhance joint work, coordination, and cooperation among all sectors holding the base, and to take advantage of its capabilities and vital position, emphasizing the need to operate with a team spirit and distribute tasks in a manner that ensures the security and protection of Ain al-Assad base, as it is one of the most important military bases within the responsibility sector.
