U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived in Iraq on Tuesday on a surprise visit ahead of the 20th anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.

“I’m here to reaffirm the U.S.-Iraq strategic partnership as we move toward a more secure, stable, and sovereign Iraq,” Mr Austin wrote on Twitter upon landing in Baghdad.

Chaos and sectarian strife followed in the wake of the invasion on March 20, 2003.

The conflict spawned the Islamic State Sunni extremist group, which controlled parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014.

The Iraqi government declared military victory against Islamic State in December 2017.

However, the group’s operatives continued to carry out attacks and kidnappings nationwide.

The U.S. military deployment is a contentious issue in Iraq.

In recent years, the two countries have agreed to move to a non-combat role for U.S.-led international coalition forces in Iraq and focus solely on training and advising security forces.

There are currently some 2,500 U.S. soldiers deployed in Iraq, using bases repeatedly attacked by rockets.

The Iran-allied militia has repeatedly demanded the U.S. forces’ withdrawal.

(dpa/NAN)