Iraqis to run security in province

Iraqi troops will take charge of security this month in southern Iraq's Maysan province, a region that had been under the control of British forces, the government said Wednesday.

Hundreds of British troops are based in Maysan, but they are not expected to withdraw from the area immediately.

In previous changeovers, British troops have stayed behind but largely out of sight to "provide what we call an operational over-watch," said British military spokeswoman Katie Brown.

Prime Minister Tony Blair has announced that Britain will withdraw about 1,600 troops from Iraq in the next few months and plans to make more cuts to Britain's 7,100-strong contingent by late summer.