![Lt Col Patrick Sanders [Pic: MoD]](http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44099000/jpg/_44099902_sanders_mod203b.jpg)
The UK has handed over Basra Palace to the Iraqis
|
Some 250 soldiers from the King's Royal Hussars are to return early from Iraq, the Ministry of Defence has said.
The Wiltshire-based battle group is among 500 troops due to withdraw after the handover of Basra Palace to Iraqi authorities earlier in the month.
The pull-out is part of a plan announced in July to reduce UK troop numbers to 5,000.
The soldiers will return to the UK over the next few weeks. The handover of Basra province is due in the autumn.
The King's Royal Hussars are an armoured combat regiment based in Tidworth.
About 550 soldiers left Basra Palace on Sunday to join troops at the UK's Basra Airport base outside the city.
The MoD said UK forces would "retain security responsibility" for Basra until the full handover, and continue to train Iraqi troops.
One-Minute World News
News services
E-mail this to a friend
Printable version
Bookmark with:
What are these?