The German Ministry of Defense has announced that the process of early withdrawal of the reduced contingent of soldiers deployed in Erbil, capital of the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan, has already begun, given the imminent departure of United States troops scheduled for next September.
According to a spokesperson for the Ministry, a "limited" group of military advisors will remain at the international camp located next to the airport in the north of the country. The rest of the personnel will leave the base before the official mission completion date, initially set for January 31, 2027.
These facilities have been the target of frequent retaliatory attacks since the beginning of the military operations of the United States and Israel against Iran. The US withdrawal, which also involves the dismantling of the Patriot anti-aircraft defense systems, will leave German forces without defensive cover against possible aggressions.
In an additional statement, the German Executive has wanted to emphasize before the Defense Committee of Parliament that the original objective of the deployment, focused on the protection of the Kurdish population against the jihadist threat, remains unchanged. "We are not abandoning the Kurds; only the nature of our mission in the Kurdistan region is changing," the Government stated in a text disseminated by DPA.
The soldiers stationed in northern Iraq are part of Germany's contribution to the international coalition Operation Inherent Resolve, an operation that will expire in two months by decision of the Iraqi authorities. The advisors who continue on the ground could be integrated into a new military training and capacity-building program in the area.