US scales down contested military presence in Iraq, say sources

Baghdad [Iraq], August 25: US troops have begun withdrawing from bases in Iraq, where their presence as part of an international coalition fighting Islamic State militants has long been contentious, Iraqi sources said on Sunday.
The US-led alliance against the Islamic State was founded after the radical group overran large swathes of northern Iraq and neighbouring Syria in 2014.
Iraq declared victory over the Islamic State in December 2017 and pushed for an end to the contested presence of the US-led coalition, saying it was necessary for the country's stability. Over the past months, there have been repeated calls from Iraq's Iran-allied militias for the withdrawal of US troops. (DPA)
Source: Qatar Tribune