Iraq holds military parade to mark US troops' withdrawal

Following the US forces' withdrawal from Iraq, various units from Iraq's defence and interior ministries stage a military parade in Baghdad and tout the move as a sign of the country's growing strength.

The Iraqi government declares a four-day official holiday from Wednesday, designated as "Sovereignty Day" celebrations.

Iraqis celebrate the pullout of the final US troops and equipment from Erbil Air Base where they had been stationed in north of the country to mark the end of a 12-year campaign to fight the Islamic State group.

Members of Iraq's security forces and the federal police are seen marching through Baghdad streets and the Shi'ite holy city of Najaf.

In 2003, the United States invaded Iraq to topple the regime of then-president Saddam Hussein and led to hundreds of thousands of deaths in more than two decades of war.

The US withdrew its forces in 2011, and then returned at the request of the Iraqi government to carry out the "Operation Inherent Resolve" aimed at tackling the spread of ISIS which seized a third of Iraq.

The pullout, agreed in 2024 under former US President Joe Biden and executed by the Trump administration, comes amid the Iran war that has seen exchanges of fire between US troops and Iran-backed militias in the region.

A celebration is concurrently taking place in Baghdad by supporters of the Popular Mobilization Forces.

Replicas of drones used in attacks on the US troops are also on display.

Iraq's Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, also commander-in-chief of the armed forces, officially announces the conclusion of the mission of the international coalition, saying their security agencies have extended control over the security and field scene throughout the nation. Nonetheless, he points out the withdrawal of US forces does not mean the end of the battle against terrorism.

The Pentagon has framed the milestone as a transition "from a wartime coalition mission to an Iraqi-led security effort supported by a more normal bilateral security relationship."

This as US President Donald Trump describes the withdrawal by a September 30 deadline as "orderly."

Appearing soon after at a White House event, Trump says it will bring an end to "a very expensive excursion into hell."

"We're getting the hell out of there. So this day is a victory for the United States. It's a victory for Iraq and a decisive victory over ISIS, which has been completely decimated, which is the reason we went in there in the first place."

Meanwhile, concerns are acute in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region about the looming threat by Iran-aligned militias without the provision of a defensive system.

A resident in Erbil states the departure of American army and the coalition from the region will impose a serious threat and warns of the restructure and the return of Daesh militant group.

Local authorities have reported over 1,000 drone and ballistic missile attacks during the war between the US and Iran in recent months and highlighted vigilance and sound political decisions in addressing ongoing instability.