US Secretary of State Colin Powell arrived in Baghdad early Friday from Kuwait on a surprise visit to Iraq.

Powell is the most senior US official to visit Iraq since the power handover from the US-led coalition to an Iraqi interim government on June 28.

He is expected to meet with Iraqi President Ghazi al-Yawar and Prime Minister Iyad Allawi on the latest developments in the war-torn country.

On Thursday, Powell already met Allawi in Saudi Arabia where the Iraqi prime minister was on a visit. Both sides welcomed a Saudi proposal to form an Arab or Muslim force for Iraqi security.