Honduran Defense Minister Federico Breve said Tuesday that the peacekeeping and reconstruction tasks conducted by the country's troops in Iraq were "successful."

The deployment was "a success in every sense," Breve said. "We consider that Honduras had given an important help in the reconstruction process in Iraq."

Honduras sent 312 soldiers to Iraq in August 2003 to participate in the multinational Plus Ultra Brigade under Spanish command.

On April 20, Honduran President Ricardo Maduro decided to pull troops out of Iraq after the Spanish government announced to do so.

Breve said the troops, who are currently waiting in Kuwait, will return to the Palmerola military base in central Honduras next Friday.