Mattis makes surprise visit to Afghanistan

US Secretary of Defence James Mattis arrived here on Friday on a surprise visit to meet Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at a time when Washington is trying to make headway in Kabul after 17 years of war.

Mattis' visit, in the middle of his tour of the region, comes unexpectedly as is usual owing to security concerns, and no details about his activities or the duration of his stay in the Afghan capital have been revealed, reports Efe news.

"US Defence Secretary Mattis and General (Joseph) Dunford the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff arrived in Kabul. And will be having meeting with President (Ashraf) Ghani. Details will be shared later," Afghan presidential spokesperson Haroon Chakhansuri tweeted.

The information office of the US and UN mission in Afghanistan confirmed Mattis' arrival but did not disclose any details about his agenda.

The arrival of Mattis coincides with the recent takeover by Austin Miller from John Nicholson as NATO's Resolute Support Mission and US Forces Afghanistan.

Mattis, who came to the Afghan capital on Friday morning from New Delhi, had, along with the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, discussed with their Indian counterparts, Nirmala Sitharaman and Sushma Swaraj respectively, the importance of both India and the US in Afghanistan.

New Delhi and Washington reiterated their support for an Afghan-led peace process in a joint statement on Thursday, in which the latter acknowledged the former's longstanding and ongoing contribution to Afghanistan as well as India's role in its neighbour's development and stability.

The same subject was addressed by Pompeo and Mattis during their stopover in Pakistan, where the Secretary of State stressed the need for Pakistan "to seriously engage to help us get to the reconciliation we need in Afghanistan".

--IANS

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