US military returns control of Anbar province to Iraqis

The US military handed over control of once brutally violent Anbar province to Iraqi forces yesterday - marking a major milestone in Washington's plan to eventually send its troops home.

But US officials warned that the struggle against Al-Qaida in Iraq and other insurgents was not over in the western region, the scene of some of the bloodiest battles in Iraq since the 2003 US-led invasion.

"This war is not quite over, but it's being won and primarily by the people of Anbar. Al-Qaida has not been entirely defeated in Anbar, but their end is near and they know it," said Marine Major General John Kelly, the top US commander in Anbar, during the handover ceremony.