The Iraqi army on Sunday was handed a British army base in the city of Basra, 550 kilometres south of Baghdad. The Iraqi flag was ceremoniously hoisted over the base, one month after another base in central Basra was given to the Iraqi army forces, dpa reported. The handover comes as part of a phased partial troop withdrawal from Iraq, which was announced on February 21 by British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Under the plan, by the end of this summer the troop numbers will be down to 5,000. Currently, around 7,100 British troops remain in Iraq, with large bases in the south - mainly in Basra and Amarah. Meanwhile, Adel Muhajir, governor of Amarah, around 390 kilometres south of the capital, said that local forces were "ready" to take over security from the multi-national forces in the city.
