U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has arrived in Baghdad on an
unannounced visit as Iraqi forces pressed an assault on Tal Afar, one of
the last pockets of territory held in the country by the extremist
group Islamic State (IS).
Mattis arrived in the Iraqi capital on August 22, just hours after
President Donald Trump outlined his new strategy for Afghanistan.
The Pentagon chief was expected to meet in Baghdad with U.S. military
commanders and senior Iraqi government leaders. He also planned to hold
talks in Irbil with Masud Barzani, leader of the autonomous Kurdish
region that has helped fight IS militants.
The visit comes two days after U.S.-backed Iraqi security forces
launched their offensive to recapture the city of Tal Afar, about 80
kilometers from Mosul and 150 kilometers from the Syrian border.
The major northern city of Mosul was recaptured in July following a
nine-month battle against IS fighters, marking the biggest defeat for
the Sunni extremist group since its sweep through northern Iraq in
summer 2014.
