U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Saturday arrived in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on an unannounced visit, local media reported.

Pence’s trip – his first visit to Iraq as vice president – landed at the Ayn al-Asad air base in Iraq’s western province of Anbar, where hundreds of U.S. troops are stationed, the Iraqi NINA news agency said.

Pence met Iraqi Kurdish President Nechirvan Barzani and his prime minister Masrour Barzani in Arbil, the Kurdish presidency said, publishing pictures of the encounters.

Pence tweeted images of himself and his wife speaking to U.S. troops and carrying a roast turkey, traditionally served during the American Thanksgiving holiday celebrated next week.

The vice president went on to Erbil in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region in Iraq, seeking to show U.S. appreciation for Kurdish sacrifices and affirm a message of U.S. support and partnership with Kurdish fighters. Pence told Barzani at the beginning of their meeting at Erbil airport that he wanted, on U.S. President Donald Trump’s behalf, to “reiterate the strong bonds forged in the fires of war between the people of the United States and the Kurdish people across this region.”

During his visit, Pence also held a phone call with Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi.

Pence said he reiterated Trump’s commitment to an independent and sovereign Iraq. “We continue to be concerned about the malign influence of Iran across Iraq,” he said.

The office of President Barham Salih said it was not aware Pence was coming to Iraq and there was no meeting planned, and the U.S. embassy in Baghdad said it had no details to share. Washington led the 2003 invasion of Iraq that toppled Saddam Hussein, dismantled its security forces and then attempted to rebuild the country’s institutions.

The U.S. has 5,200 troops stationed in Iraqi bases across the country. Pence’s visit came at a time when Iraq is witnessing month-long anti-government protests.(SD-Agencies)