Washington - US President George W Bush Thursday said combat tours for US forces in Iraq would be reduced from 15 months to 12 months, as a 20,000-strong troop surge to the region had now come to an end.

Bush said that a sharp reduction in violence in Iraq and the increasing ability of Iraqi forces to take on their own combat missions has allowed the United States to continue drawing down troops.

"We now have brought home all five of the combat brigades and the three Marine units that were sent to Iraq as part of the surge," Bush said.

The reduced combat tours "will ease the burden on our forces, and it will make life easier for our wonderful military families," he said.

The end of the troop surge, which began in the spring of last year, brings the number of US forces in Iraq back down to about 140,000 troops.

General David Petraeus, commander of US forces in Iraq, would provide recommendations later this year on whether to go ahead with further troop cuts, Bush said. (dpa)