U.S. defence secretary arrives in Iraq on unannounced visit to meet Iraqi leaders

By Idrees AliBAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis arrived in Iraq on Tuesday, just days after the start of an offensive to take back the city of Tal Afar, to speak with Iraqi leaders about the next steps in the fight against Islamic State.Mattis has warned that the end of the militant group is far from close.Iraqi security forces launched an offensive to take back the city of Tal Afar on Sunday, their latest objective in the U.S.-backed campaign to defeat Islamic State militants