WASHINGTON, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi security forces will take over the border security responsibility for their country by this summer, the U.S. military said Friday.

    By this summer, -- or more specifically, July -- Iraqi forces will be responsible for security along the country's entire 3,631 km-long border, Martin Dempsey, commander of the Multinational Security Transition Command, told a Pentagon briefing via teleconference from Iraq.

    He said Iraqi security forces have already been in charge of much of the country's border and the handover is nearing completion.

    The handover is part of a broader effort to put Iraqi security forces in charge so that the 133,000-strong U.S. forces there can be reduced and shift to a supporting role. Enditem