Italy has completed the withdrawal of its last military personnel from Iraq, ending a 12-year military presence in the country, Reuters reported on September 29.

The final troops departed as part of the wind-down of the international coalition mission against the Islamic State, in which Italy played a significant role through training and advisory support for Iraqi forces.

Only two Carabinieri officers remain in Iraq, serving under the European Union Advisory Mission (EUAM Iraq) in a civilian capacity.

The withdrawal marks the close of a chapter that began with Italy’s contribution to the counter-ISIS coalition, one of the larger European contingents in the country.

Rome has said it will continue supporting Iraq through training, development cooperation and the EU advisory mission, even as the military footprint formally ends. The coalition’s mission formally transitioned as Iraq’s own security forces took the lead against remaining ISIS cells. Italy’s defence ministry said equipment and personnel were repatriated in an orderly phased drawdown over recent months.