Update: U.S. defense chief meets Iraqi leaders over IS fight

U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter on Wednesday held talks with Iraqi leaders over fighting the Islamic State (IS) militant group, and means to boost military support for Iraqi forces.

A statement, issued by the office of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, said Abadi and Carter "discussed the war on terrorist Daaesh (IS group) gangs and the latest victories achieved on the enemy, in addition to tackling means to enhance cooperation between the two countries in the areas of arming and training."

The two sides also discussed the political and security development in the Middle East region, the statement said.

For his part, Carter reiterated Washington's support to Iraq's integrity and sovereignty, it added.

Carter also met with his Iraqi counterpart, Khalid al-Obeidi, and the two discussed means to enhance coordination in fighting IS, the state-run Iraqiya television reported.

Earlier in the day, Carter arrived in Baghdad on an unannounced visit with the aim of meeting the U.S. commanders in Iraq and with Iraqi leaders.

Carter's visit, his second as Pentagon chief, came amid reports that Washington is looking for ways to broaden its military assistance to Iraq, including the possibility of sending in attack helicopters and deploying elite American military teams in Iraq to conduct raids against IS in Iraq and in neighboring Syria.

Hundreds of U.S. Marines are in Iraq, as trainers and advisers, to help the country battling IS extremists in the city of Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province.

The security situation in Iraq has drastically deteriorated since June 2014, when bloody clashes broke out between Iraqi security forces and the IS militants.

The IS took control of the country's northern city of Mosul and later seized swathes of territories in Nineveh and other predominantly Sunni provinces.

A U.S.-led international coalition has been conducting air strikes on IS targets in both Iraq and neighboring Syria. Endit