Baghdad- Asharq Al-Awsat

Iraq's parliament has voted to expel the US military from the country.

Lawmakers voted Sunday in favor of a resolution that calls for ending foreign military presence in the country. The resolution's main aim is to get the US to withdraw some 5,000 US troops present in different parts of Iraq.

The vote comes two days after a US airstrike killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani inside Iraq and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandes, the deputy chairman of the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), dramatically increasing regional tensions.

The Iraqi resolution specifically calls for ending an agreement in which Washington sent troops to Iraq more than four years ago to help in the fight against the ISIS group.

"The government commits to revoke its request for assistance from the international coalition fighting ISIS due to the end of military operations in Iraq and the achievement of victory," the resolution read.

"The Iraqi government must work to end the presence of any foreign troops on Iraqi soil and prohibit them from using its land, airspace or water for any reason."

Parliament resolutions, unlike laws, are non-binding to the government.

The resolution was backed by most Shiite members of parliament, who hold a majority of seats.

Many Sunni and Kurdish legislators did not show up for the session, apparently because they oppose abolishing the deal.

Earlier on Sunday, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi urged parliament to take urgent measures and end the foreign troop presence as soon as possible.

"Despite the internal and external difficulties that we might face, it remains best for Iraq on principle and practically," Abdul Mahdi told parliament in a speech.

The request was put forward Sunday by the largest bloc in the legislature, known as Fatah. That bloc includes leaders associated with the Iran-backed paramilitary Popular Mobilization Units, which were a major force in the fight against ISIS

Meanwhile, Iraq's foreign ministry has lodged official complaints with the United Nations Secretary-General and Security Council over US airstrikes on Iraqi soil that killed Soleimani and several Iraqi militia leaders.

The complaint is about "American attacks and aggression on Iraqi military positions and the assassination of Iraqi and allied high level military commanders on Iraqi soil," the ministry said in a statement.

It described the attacks as "a dangerous breach of Iraqi sovereignty and of the terms of US presence in Iraq."

It called on the Security Council to condemn the attacks.