The U.S. military has begun pulling its forces from Iraq following an agreement signed with the Iraqi government a year ago, officials have confirmed, citing successes in fighting ISIS in the country.

The U.S. and coalition partners “will reduce its military mission in Iraq,” reflecting the “combined success in fighting ISIS,” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement late Tuesday.

Washington and Baghdad in September 2024 agreed to sunset the U.S. military-led mission in Iraq, in which a coalition of countries conduct counterterrorism missions against remnants of ISIS.

The U.S. had roughly 2,500 troops in Iraq at the beginning of the year, but they have steadily left some military installations where American forces have been stationed over the past two decades.

Under the deal, the U.S. and its coalition allies would focus on fighting ISIS in Syria — where there are more than 900 American troops — and shift a majority of their personnel to Iraq’s Kurdistan region, Reuters reported. 

The total number of U.S. forces in Iraq will be less than 2,000 once the transitions are finished, with most of them in Erbil, an official told the outlet.

The move “marks an effort to transition to a lasting U.S.-Iraq security partnership in accordance with U.S. national interests, the Iraqi Constitution, and the U.S.-Iraq Strategic Framework Agreement,” Parnell said. 

Washington will maintain “close coordination” with Baghdad and coalition partners to ensure a “responsible transition,” he added.

The statement did not give details on the number of troops that have withdrawn since the agreement was first signed or when the drawdown would be finished.

A senior Iraqi security official told The Associated Press that the U.S. began withdrawing its troops weeks ago from Baghdad and from Al-Asad base in western Iraq.

“Only a very small number of advisers remain within the Joint Operations Command,” the official said.