U.S. Hands Over Camp Victory To Iraqis As Violence Continues

U.S. soldiers leave Al-Fao palace at Camp Victory, one of the last U.S. bases in Iraq, after a special ceremony in Baghdad on December 1.

The U.S. military says it has handed over Camp Victory, a huge base on the outskirts of Baghdad, to the Iraqi government.

U.S. military spokesman Colonel Barry Johnson said the formal agreement on the handover was signed on December 2 and the camp is now under the "full authority" of Iraq's government.

Camp Victory had served as the headquarters for the U.S. military since the 2003 invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.

The announcement came as nine people reportedly were killed and 30 injured in gun and bomb attacks throughout the country.

compiled from agency reports