ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Kurdistan Region Interior Minister Reber Ahmed said Thursday that US-led coalition forces have taken “serious steps” toward withdrawing from the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, noting that troops are being transferred out of the country daily, with all foreign forces set to depart by September 30.

“According to the existing agreement, until the end of September these forces must leave this place, and they have made serious steps in that regard,” Ahmed said in a press conference, noting that the forces have started these efforts in the Kurdistan Region as well.

“These forces are being transferred to other places outside of Iraq daily,” he added.

The minister asserted that “perhaps, till the end of September, no coalition forces will remain in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq according to the agreement.”

The anti-ISIS coalition, brought to Iraq in 2014 at the invitation of Baghdad to help repel a lightning ISIS advance across the country, is set to complete its withdrawal from all Iraqi territory by September 30, as per an agreement between Washington and Baghdad.

However, the minister stressed the importance of continued coordination with local and international partners in order to safeguard Iraq’s security and stability.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s spokesperson Sabah al-Numan similarly noted in a Thursday press conference that “Iraq is witnessing an accelerating withdrawal of foreign forces," and that the premier’s office is monitoring the withdrawal process and providing necessary facilitations.

The timeline for the draw down is "firm", Numan added, saying that it serves as "a testament to the capabilities of the security forces in safeguarding national security and protecting sovereignty."

The withdrawal has long been a key demand of political forces and armed groups across Iraq, particularly those with strong links to Iran, which have repeatedly called for the departure of US forces.

The government is also pushing to restrict weapons to the state, with September 30 set as the deadline for armed groups outside state control to hand over their weapons.