British marching music trumpeted and boomed in the background as hundreds of Iraqi police and soldiers, some riding on trucks decked in ribbons, paraded around a dilapidated sports stadium south of Baghdad yesterday.

The pomp, which also included a line of smartly dressed girls waving Iraqi flags and colourful balloons, marked the moment the US military handed over control of security in the last of Iraq’s southern provinces after a huge drop in violence.

Wasit, along the Iranian border, is the 13th province to take back full responsibility for its own security. Only Baghdad and four volatile provinces to the north remain under US command.

Mowaffaq al-Rubaie, the Iraqi Government’s security adviser, told a ceremony of senior military and civilian officials at the stadium in the provincial capital of Kut: "This is considered a national holiday for Wasit and its people."

Not many locals turned up to hear the news, however, with more than half of the seats in the stands around the sports track empty.

Fortunately, a crowd largely comprising school children and older students, excused from class for the occasion, made up for the low turn-out, whistling and cheering as a military band, dressed in white suit jackets with a red trim, played the Colonel Bogey March and other classics, while the troops marched.

Even a sudden rain shower failed to dampen spirits.

“We are happy for the hand over of security,” said Ali Nejib, a 15-year-old student among the spectators. “The security situation here is much better than before.”

Recorded Iraqi military music took over from the band for the climax of the parade. Various police, army and Special Forces-style units filed around the track, turning to salute in the direction of a section of seats where national and local Government officials were seated, as well as Iraqi commanders and representatives from the US-led coalition.

Vehicles were also on display, from motorbikes and Humvees to a small boat and a line of open-backed trucks carrying mechanics and engineers. Adding to the sense of carnival, these manual workers proceeded to mallet, crank and drill bits of machinery as they rode around to the delight of the crowd.

The scene was a sharp contrast to March and April of this year when clashes erupted in Wasit during an uprising by followers of Moqtada al-Sadr, the Shia cleric. But the province, like other parts of the south, has since become largely quiet after the al-Mehdi Army returned to observing a ceasefire.

Lieutenant General Lloyd Austin, commander of US combat forces in Iraq, said the transfer of security "represents the beginning of a very promising future for the people of Wasit, and it represents a safer and more secure Iraq".

Just seven months ago, the rural province had experienced 16 to 18 attacks a week, he said, noting that now it “frequently has weeks with zero attacks”.

Speeches over, Lieutenant General Austin and Latif Hamid al-Tarfa, the provincial Governor, sat at a table to sign a pile of documents officially handing over control of security. The two men then shook hands.

Sadly, the moment was missed by much of the crowd, who decided to exit the stadium early. But two excited locals, one wearing a patriotic red, white and black t-shirt and the second in a green Iraq tracksuit, embraced the moment.

“Long live Iraq!” they shouted, waving their hands for the cameras.

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