Some U.S. troops will be leaving Iraq as part of the military's plans to reposition some personnel from smaller bases to larger ones following a series of deadly rocket attacks that claimed the lives of two U.S. service members and a U.K. soldier, NBC News reported.
U.S. troops will be removed from joint bases at al-Qaim near the Syrian border, Qayyarah Airfield West near Mosul, according to three U.S. defense officials with knowledge of the situation. Troops may also be removed from K-1 Air Base in Kirkuk.
"As a result of the success of Iraqi Security Forces in their fight against ISIS, the Coalition is re-positioning troops from a few smaller bases," a spokesperson for Operation Inherent Resolve told NBC in a statement. "These bases remain under Iraqi control and we will continue our advising partnership for the permanent defeat of Daesh (ISIS) from other Iraqi military bases."
The U.S.'s announcement comes following a series of high-profile rocket attacks against soldiers in the region. Five people, including three coalition service members and at least two Iraqi soldiers were injured on Saturday after a rocket attack on Camp Taji, a military base north of Baghdad. The attack comes just days after another rocket attack left three people dead, including two U.S. and one British soldiers.
No specific timetable for the troop movements have been announced. The decision to consolidate troops was not made because of the recent rocket attacks at Camp Taji, but had been floated several months ago as the U.S. military mission in Iraq evolves.
The U.S. has already begun moving additional assets to protect coalition troops at Ain al Asad Air Base and Irbil Air Base in the north. Those assets include systems that will require additional soldiers who can set them up, operate and maintain them.
According to the Pentagon, there are approximately 5,200 U.S. military personnel currently serving in Iraq.
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