Kerry in Kurdistan for talks with leaders

Baghdad, June 24 (IANS) US Secretary of State John Kerry Tuesday arrived in Iraq's semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan to discuss the country's crisis with Kurdish leaders, media reported.

Kerry landed at the Arbil airport and is scheduled to meet top regional officials, including the president of the Kurdistan region, Masoud Barzani, and prime minister of the Regional Government, Nechirvan Barzani, Xinhua reported.

The visit came a day after Kerry met with Iraqi leaders and high ranking officials in Baghdad, during which he urged the country's Shia-led government to reach out to the Sunni and Kurdish communities and to "stand united" against the militant groups, including the Islamic State in Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS).

Kerry confirmed the US's support to Iraqi security forces which "will be intense and sustained, and if Iraq's leaders take the necessary steps to bring the country together, it will be effective".

"It will allow Iraqi security forces to confront ISIS more effectively," he said.

Kerry's visit to the country is part of his Middle East tour mainly to hold talks with leaders regarding security, stability and the formation of an inclusive government in Iraq, as well as other developments in the region.

His visit to the country came amidst escalating violence that began earlier this month when armed Sunni insurgents led by the ISIS, launched an offensive that led to the debacle of Iraqi security forces and seizure of a large part of the country's northern and western territories.