Mattis arrives in Afghanistan on surprise visit
Mattis arrived here on Friday morning and is scheduled to meet Army Gen. Scott Miller the new Commander of Resolute Support and US Forces-Afghanistan who assumed the role last week reports CNN.
During a dialogue in New Delhi on Thursday US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Mattis and their Indian counterparts "reaffirmed their shared commitment to a united sovereign democratic inclusive stable prosperous and peaceful Afghanistan" according to a joint statement.
Earlier this week Pompeo named veteran diplomat Zalmay Khalilzad as a newly-named State Department special envoy to Afghanistan.
Khalilzad Pompeo said would be "full time focused on developing the opportunities to get the Afghans and the Taliban to come to a reconciliation."
The topic of reconciliation was a prominent one as both secretaries travelled the region this week.
The two secretaries arrived in the country amid violence that took place earlier this week CNN reported.
One US service member was killed and another was injured on Monday in "an apparent insider attack" in eastern Afghanistan.
On Wednesday 20 people including two journalists were killed in Kabul in twin bomb attacks on a wrestling club. The Islamic State terror group claimed responsibility for the attack.
--IANS ksk