BAGHDAD: Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper made a surprise visit to Iraq on Satruday to express his continued support for the fight against the Islamic State group.

Harper held talks with his Iraqi counterpart Haider Al-Abadi in Baghdad before heading to the autonomous Kurdish region in the north where Ottawa has military trainers deployed to assist the fightback against the militants.

Abadi’s office said the allies had discussed “the war being waged by Iraq against the terrorist bands of Daesh (IS) and the international support being provided to Iraq in this campaign.”

Canada is the only Western ally so far to have joined the United States in carrying out air strikes against IS in neighboring Syria as well as Iraq.