The top US commander in Iraq says the time is right for American troops to leave the Iraqi cities and hand over more security control to Iraqi forces, Press TV reported.
With US forces due to be out of Iraqi cities by June 30, General Ray Odierno told CNN on Sunday that, "I think from a military and security standpoint it's time for us to move out of the cities."
"Security remains good, we've seen constant improvement in the security force, constant improvement in governance," Ordierno said.
The handover comes in line with last November's Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), which rewires all combat troops to leave all Iraqi cities by the end of June and all other forces to be out by the end of 2011.
Despite the rise of violence in the country in recent weeks, which has killed more than 100 people in and around Baghdad, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says that the "acts of terrorism" will not deter his government from regaining full sovereignty of the country.