US fully withdraws from Ain al-Asad Airbase in Iraq

The Iraqi Ministry of Defense reported that US forces have completely withdrawn from the Ain al-Asad Airbase in Anbar province and that the management of the base has been transferred to the Iraqi army. The statement noted that Iraqi Chief of General Staff General Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah visited the base alongside deputy chiefs of staff for operations and force commanders to personally oversee the new distribution of duties. The statement further indicated that the Chief of General Staff inspected the base's infrastructure and logistics capabilities on-site and issued instructions for units to reach full combat readiness, adding, "Emphasizing the strategic importance of Ain al-Asad, Yarallah stated that high coordination and team spirit must be maintained among all military branches to ensure the full security of the base."

The Ministry of Defense announced that the 65th Special Forces Brigade and its affiliated battalions have been deployed to the field as part of the base's security and administration, and that headquarters belonging to the Iraqi Air Force and the Army Aviation Command have also taken their positions within the base.

Ain al-Asad Airbase

Captured by the US Marine Corps during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the Ain al-Asad Airbase became the US's main logistics hub in western Iraq during the occupation period.

After the Iraqi army managed the base for a period, US-led coalition forces returned to the base in 2014 following the occupation of a large part of the country by the terrorist organization ISIS. The base played a critical role as a center for air operations in the fight against terrorism and as a training camp for local forces.