In an interview with the Times of London published Monday, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said British troops were not needed for security purposes in the south of the country.

"Definitely, the presence of this number of British soldiers is no longer necessary. We thank them for the role they have played, but I think that their stay is not necessary for maintaining security and control," he said.

Meanwhile, British Maj. Gen Andy Salmon praised the Iraqi people and an Iraqi assault in March called Charge of the Knights with bringing security to the port city, the British Ministry of Defense said.

"Basra is secure," said the commander. "We know that the threat still exists but the public are very confident in the ability of the Iraqi army to deal with insurgents and terrorists."

Salmon hinted at a transition to a more advisory role for British forces by praising the work of military transition teams in bringing Iraqi troops to full capacity.

"The number of security operations that the Iraqi security forces are doing in the city and in the region are making it very difficult for militias to raise their ugly heads," he said.

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