Italy will withdraw 1,000 troops from Iraq by June and the rest of the contingent will come home by the end of the year, Italian Defense Minister Antonio Martino said on Thursday.

Speaking to a joint meeting of Italian Senate and Lower House foreign committees, Martino said Italy's mission in Iraq will be "definitely accomplished" by the end of 2006.

Italy, which did not take part in the US-led war on Iraq, currently has the fourth largest contingent serving there after the United States, Britain and South Korea.

Martino confirmed that after a drop from 3,200 to 2,900 troops in September, there would be a further reduction this month to 2,600.

He has said repeatedly that the Italian contingent's mission now consists mainly of training and equipping the Iraqi security forces.

The Italian government said recently that Italians had helped the local population with "500 concrete operations" and also trained 10,000 Iraqi police and soldiers.

(Xinhua News Agency January 20, 2006)