Spain is temporarily withdrawing its special forces from Iraq due to the deterioration of security.

The Spanish authorities have decided to relocate the special operations group (SOTG) from Iraq due to precarious security conditions, which have made it impossible to continue training missions with Iraqi forces.

Approximately 300 Spanish soldiers are deployed in Iraq, as part of the international coalition led by the USA against the Islamic State group, with the role of training Iraqi counter-terrorism units. The relocation took place after a drone attack on a French military base near Erbil, which resulted in the death of a French soldier. Other European countries, such as Italy, have taken similar measures to evacuate military personnel from Iraq.

Spain has been militarily present in Iraq since 2015, as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, and rotates special operations units every six months.