Japan's 2 1/2-year military deployment in Iraq was a success that will serve as a lesson for future missions as the country moves to assume a bigger role in regional and global security, Defense Agency chief Fukushiro Nukaga said in an interview Wednesday.

Tokyo announced June 20 it will pull its troops out of Iraq over the next two months, after British and Australian forces said they would transfer security responsibilities in the south to Iraqi forces.

Japan has 600 Ground Self-Defense Force troops in the city of Samawah on a reconstruction mission.