British troops were quitting the southern Iraqi city of Basra on Sunday night in another step towards handing over the province to Iraqi control and paving the way for an eventual withdrawal of British forces from Iraq. AFP cited BBC as saying the Iraqi head of security confirmed the reports of a British pullout. A British Ministry of Defence source in London said troops were pulling out of Basra Palace in the city centre and withdrawing to the vast British airbase on the outskirts of the city but declined to comment further. One Reuters witness said he could see helicopters taking off and landing at the palace. The withdrawal means the end of a British presence in the volatile city for the first time since the US-led invasion to oust Saddam Hussein in 2003. It is part of plans to transfer security control of Basra province, expected before the end of the year.
British forces, however, would remain in an “over watch role” and continue training Iraqi security forces. Britain has already handed over three other provinces in southern Iraq.