BAGHDAD, March 16: Senator John McCain arrived in Baghdad on Sunday for an unexpected meeting with Iraqi and Amercian diplomatic and military officials, a US government official said.

The details of McCain’s visit were not being released for security reasons, the embassy said.

“Senator McCain is in Iraq and will be meeting with Iraqi and US officials,” said Mirembe Nantongo, spokeswoman for the US Embassy in Baghdad.

The timing of the visit by the soon to be Republican presidential nominee was not announced and he was believed to have been in the country for several hours before reporters were able to confirm his presence. There were no media opportunities or news conferences planned for the visit.

McCain, who is believed to be staying in Iraq for about 24 hours, is on his eighth trip to Iraq.

The senator met Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki last November during the US Thanksgiving holiday, and he is accompanied on the trip by Sens Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

Ahead of the trip, McCain reportedly insisted that the visit was a fact-finding venture, not a campaign photo opportunity.

McCain was meeting with Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh.

Later in the day, he and Gen David Petraeus, the top commander in Iraq, were planning to meet. “We were informed that John McCain landed in Iraq on Sunday morning.—AP