Bulgarian troops to leave Iraq at year's end

SOFIA (Reuters) - Bulgaria will withdraw its 155 troops from Iraq at the end of the year, the defense ministry said Thursday.

"The mandate of the troops expires at the end of the year. We do not plan to extend it," a spokeswoman cited the defense minister as saying.

Bulgaria's 120 soldiers and 35 support troops are guarding detainees undergoing a reintegration program at U.S. Camp Cropper near Baghdad's airport as part of the multinational forces in Iraq.

(Reporting by Tsvetelia Ilieva; Editing by Jon Boyle)