Britain withdraws troops from Basra

Updated: 12:39, Monday, 3 September 2007

Britain has begun withdrawing about 550 troops from a base at Basra Palace to the last remaining British base near the city's airport.

1 of 2Basra - British troops withdrawing
Basra - British troops withdrawing
2 of 2Iraq - 500 leave Basra
Iraq - 500 leave Basra

Britain has begun withdrawing about 550 troops, from a base at Basra Palace, to the last remaining British base near the city's airport.

Around 500 of Britain's 5,500 soldiers in Iraq are stationed at the Basra palace.

The palace was built for Saddam Hussein and is located in the centre of Iraq's second city.

The withdrawal is a step towards handing over the province to Iraqi control, and paving the way for an eventual withdrawal of British forces from Iraq.

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