US defence chief Hagel reports `steady progress` in war on IS

US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel landed in Baghdad on Tuesday for an unannounced visit aimed getting a first look at the US-led war effort against the Islamic State jihadist group.

Baghdad: US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said Tuesday that the battle against the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group in Iraq was achieving steady progress helped by support from the US-led coalition.

"The focus of our conversations today was the effort to degrade and defeat ISIL (IS), and as I discussed with Iraqi leaders, we are seeing steady progress in achieving this objective," he said after talks in Baghdad.