Warsaw, March 21 (IANS) Poland has withdrawn its troops from Iraq amid a deteriorating security situation in the Middle East, Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz has announced.

The decision followed an assessment of operational conditions and potential risks, Kosiniak-Kamysz said in a post on the social media platform X on Friday (local time).

Up to 350 Polish soldiers had been deployed in Iraq, reports Xinhua, quoting the Polish Press Agency. The contingent is also authorised to operate in Jordan, Qatar and Kuwait.

Most personnel have already returned to Poland or are on their way back, while some have been transferred to Jordan to continue their mission, Kosiniak-Kamysz added.

Meanwhile, the NATO mission in Iraq has also commenced the temporary withdrawal of its personnel from the country due to security concerns, a high-ranking security source told the Iraqi News Agency (INA) on Friday.

The source described the move as a temporary measure prompted by the ongoing conflict and concerns over the safety of mission members, adding that they will return as soon as the war ends and the security situation in Iraq stabilises, according to INA.

The NATO Mission Iraq, a non-combat advisory one, was established in 2018 at the request of the Iraqi government to strengthen its security sector.

The temporary exit occurred amid heightened tensions following Israel and the United States joint attacks launched on February 28 on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing Iran's then-supreme leader, along with senior military commanders and civilians.

Iran responded by launching waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and US bases and assets in the Middle East.

--IANS

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