British troops to begin Iraq pullout soon, says UK PM

New Delhi: British troops have ended six years of combat operations in Iraq.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the 3700-strong troops should begin leaving Iraq by the end of May.

But 400 military personnel will remain behind to help train Iraqi naval forces.

The announcement came after British PM Gordon Brown's meeting with the visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki at Downing Street.

Since the US led invasion of Iraq in 2003, some 179 British service personnel have lost their lives.