London  - The final withdrawal of the remaining 4,000 British troops from Iraq could be announced by the end of the year in order to step up troop levels in Afghanistan, reports said Tuesday.

The BBC said discussions had begun about forces pulling out of southern Iraq if the security situation continued to improve along current levels.

The government was under pressure from the military to release the troops, now stationed at barracks just outside Basra, while pressure was mounting in Afghanistan.

The reports, which have not been confirmed, come after a flare-up of violence in Basra forced Prime Minister Gordon Brown to go back on an earlier announcement that troop levels would be cut to 2,500 this spring.

Commentators said the timing of a final troop withdrawal from Iraq by the end of the year would fit in with a change of US president and possibly less opposition from Washington to such a move.

Britain, which currently has 8,000 troops in southern Afghanistan, announced the death of its 100th soldier in the fighting last weekend. (dpa)