BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki wants his forces to take over security in the southern province of Basra from British troops within three months, his office said on Thursday.

Maliki made the comment to new British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in a telephone conversation on Thursday, the Iraqi leader's office said in a statement.

"Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki confirmed the intention of Iraq's forces to assume the security file of Basra within three months," the statement said.

Britain has handed security responsibility back to Iraq in three of four southern provinces, with only Basra remaining.

Maliki expressed his hopes that after three months, British forces would only play a supporting role. He did not elaborate.

The number of British troops in Iraq was recently cut to about 5,500 from 7,000.

More than 150 British soldiers have been killed in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.

Basra, which has a city by the same name, is home to southern Iraq's oil industry.