Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani declared on Monday that a contingent of between 250 to 350 US military advisers will remain in Iraq to facilitate coordination with US forces in Syria fighting the Islamic State group.

Washington and Baghdad had previously agreed to scale back the American-led coalition in Iraq by this September. However, Syrian developments necessitated maintaining these forces at strategic bases for counter-ISIS operations.

While emphasizing Iraq's non-alignment policy and urging US-Iran negotiations, al-Sudani addressed impending legislative moves concerning Iran-backed militias, pertinent to upcoming parliamentary elections.

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