Nearly six years after the US-led invasion, the UK mission in Iraq is ending. Here is an overview of some of the key facts and figures about the UK forces' presence in Basra.

COST IN LIVES

• UK troops killed: 179
  (111 killed in action, 25 died of their wounds, 43 died of other causes)
• Estimate of civilians killed: 3,302 – 3,766
  (based on data from Iraq Body Count)
• Details on every UK casualty in Iraq.

THE MILITARY

• Total cost of UK operation: �6.44bn
• Number of troops who served in Iraq: 100,000
• Number of Iraqi troops trained: 585,000
• Peak troop deployment: 46,000
  (during major combat in 2003)

RECONSTRUCTION

• UK spend on reconstruction: �744m
• Water mains repaired: 200km (120 miles)
• Septic tanks cleared: 7,000
• Water leaks repaired: 5,000

Initially, the UK presence in Basra attracted little of the violence aimed at US forces elsewhere in Iraq. However, by 2006, the rebellion was spreading to the area under British command. The height of the violence came during 2007 when rocket attacks against the British base at Basra's international airport occurred on an almost daily basis. The planting of improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, also took their toll.

UK forces had five bases in and around Basra. They began to vacate them or hand them over to the Iraqis during 2007. Basra International Airport was officially handed over to US control in April.

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