Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, on a surprise visit to Baghdad today, assured Iraq of a long-term partnership but stressed his combat troops deployed here would head home by June next year.

"Earlier today I visited Australian battle group in Talil (southern Iraq) and spoke directly to what is a fine body of men and women,'' Mr Rudd told a Baghdad news conference with his counterpart, Nouri al-Maliki.

"That battle group will come to a conclusion as of June next year. And that will be the last battle group we deploy.''