British Prime Minister Theresa May paid a surprise visit on Wednesday to Baghdad where she met her Iraqi counterpart Haider al-Abadi and praised the country's efforts to battle the Islamic State group. May's visit came after Iraqi forces backed by an international coalition including Britain ousted the Islamic State group from swathes of Iraq it had controlled since 2014. May praised "the bravery and sacrifice of the Iraqi security forces" and pledged British support "for as long as the Iraqis want and need it".
Britain, which took part in the US-led Iraq invasion of 2003 which toppled the regime of dictator Saddam Hussein, has played a key role in the coalition battling IS. Experts have long argued that its participation in the 2003 invasion made Britain a target for jihadist groups. May told a press conference in Baghdad that Britain would "work with partners across the region to develop the capabilities that will enable us to deal with the threat posed by foreign fighters."
She said she had visited British troops training Iraqi security forces at the Taji military base, north of Baghdad.