An Australian Defense Department spokesperson says the nation's troops in Iraq are officially ending combat operations Sunday. Troops were holding a ceremony that included lowering the Australian flag, which had flown over Camp Terendak in Talil, southern Iraq, the spokesperson was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. The move fulfills a campaign promise of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who was elected last November, to bring Australia's 550 combat troops home by the middle of this year. Several hundred other troops remain there in supporting roles such as guarding diplomats.
