Poland will withdraw 800 troops from Iraq by the end of February as part of its plans to reduce military presence in the country following Iraqi elections, a top official said Monday.

The withdrawal will be completed by the end of February, said Polish Defense Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski. He also said the government will evaluate the situation in Iraq in February and March, and decide the future of the remaining Polish troops in the country.

Poland, a staunch US ally in Iraq, currently has 2,400 troops and also leads a multinational force in Iraq. It has said it will pull all its forces out of the country by the end of the year.

(Xinhua News Agency February 1, 2005)