U.S. forces to stay in Iraq as long as needed - spokesman

U.S. forces will stay in Iraq "as long as needed" to help stabilize regions previously controlled by Daesh, a spokesman for the U.S.-led international coalition fighting the militants said on Sunday.

"We'll keep troops there as long as we think they're needed ... The main reason, after Daesh is defeated militarily, is the stabilization efforts and we still need to be there for that, so that's one of the reasons we'll maintain a presence," Colonel Sean Ryan told a news conference in Abu Dhabi.

The number of American soldiers could go down however, depending on when other forces from the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation deploy to help train the Iraqi army, he said, adding that about 5,200 U.S. troops are currently based in Iraq.

NATO defence ministers agreed in February to a bigger "train-and-advise" mission in Iraq after a U.S. call for the alliance to help stabilise the country after three years of war against Islamic State.

"Possibly, there could be a drawdown, it just depends on when NATO comes in and they help train the forces as well," Ryan said.

Iraq officially announced victory over the militants in December, five months after capturing their stronghold Mosul.

"We're starting to see a lot of collaboration between the SDF and ISF (Iraqi Security Forces) because it used to be that they would just come to the coalition, but now, we have them talking to each other as well," said Ryan.

The Iraqi military has carried out several air strikes against Daesh in Syria since last year, the last of which a few days ago, with the approval of the Assad regime and the U.S.-led coalition.