Baghdad  - US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates arrived in Iraq on Tuesday on an unannounced visit, al-Jazeera news channel reported.

Gates arrived in Iraq after visits to Israel and Jordan.

This is the second visit by a US official to Iraq following the withdrawal of US troops from Iraqi cities on June 30. US Vice President Joe Biden celebrated US Independence Day, on July 4, with the US troops in Iraq.

Gates' visit comes less than a week after Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's visit to the United States, where he called for more reconciliation in the war-torn country. (dpa)