The 27 soldiers and seven policemen arrived at dawn aboard a commercial flight from Kuwait, where they had stayed for several days after leaving their posts in Iraq last week.

Manila ordered their withdrawal from Iraq a month earlier than scheduled after militants threatened to behead truck driver Angelo de la Cruz unless the troops left.

De la Cruz was released after Manila complied with the kidnappers' demands.

The withdrawal has been sharply criticised by the United States and Australia, which also has troops in Iraq.

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Sunday the move had emboldened an Islamic militant group which claims links to the Al-Qaeda to issue threats of bombings in Australia unless it too withdraws its troops.

The group reportedly made the threats in an online message.

Shortly after de la Cruz was freed, Islamic militants in Iraq kidnapped three Kenyans, three Indians and an Egyptian, all of them also truck drivers.

President Gloria Arroyo has defended the pull-out, saying it was important to protect the interests of about eight million Filipino workers abroad, many of them in the Middle East.

She has stressed however that her government remained firm in its resolve to fight terrorism.

The head of the returning Philippine contingent, Lieutenant Colonel Ramon Yogyog, said Monday the force was proud of its contributions to rebuilding Iraq during its 11-month stint there.

The Filipinos built 27 schools, 11 water treatment plants as well as health centers and multi-purpose activity halls in 168 villages in Iraq.

WAR.WIRE