ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Wednesday thanked the US-led coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS), marking the conclusion of their mission and full withdrawal from Iraq, noting that the milestone represents a transition in the relations, not an end.

On Wednesday, the US-led coalition completed its withdrawal from Iraq and the Kurdistan Region in accordance with an agreement between Baghdad and Washington. The withdrawal comes after years of cooperation between the coalition and Iraqi and Kurdish forces in the fight against ISIS.

“On behalf of the Kurdistan Region, I would like to thank all of the coalition forces, the US, European countries, and all other allies who helped us in facing and defeating ISIS and helping improve the Peshmerga’s capabilities,” Barzani said during a speech at the inauguration of an automotive center in Erbil.

The coalition was brought to Iraq in 2014 at Baghdad’s invitation to help repel the ISIS advance across the country. The militant group was territorially defeated with assistance from the US-led coalition forces in Iraq in 2017.

Despite their territorial defeat, ISIS militants continue to pose a security threat in Iraq through sporadic hit-and-run operations and attacks on remote areas. Iraqi forces, in cooperation with Kurdish forces, have intensified their efforts to eliminate these remnants.

The premier added that relations with coalition countries will enter a new phase “through the economic relations, cultural, political, security and military sectors,” adding: “The Kurdistan Region as an active and influential part of Iraq’s government can and will help foster these relations.”

The US Defense Department on Wednesday announced its full withdrawal and conclusion of Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq, reaffirming that it will continue providing target training and intelligence support.

“The orderly departure of Coalition forces and equipment from Erbil Air Base marks the successful conclusion of the military mission that defeated ISIS in Iraq,” it said in a statement.

“It also marks a transition from a wartime coalition mission to an Iraqi-led security effort supported by a more normal bilateral security relationship,” read a statement attributed to Chief Pentagon Spokesperson Sean Parnell.

The Kurdish premier also noted that the threat of terrorism persists, reassuring that the Iraqi and the Peshmerga forces have improved and are ready to face any type of threat against the Kurdistan Region and the country.