DHAKA: United States defence secretary Chuck Hagel arrived in Afghanistan on a surprise visit on Sunday, following the release of soldier Bowe Bergdahl, held hostage by the Taliban for five years.

A US defence official said, reports The Straits Times.

Hagel arrived at Bagram Airfield, a vast military base in Kabul controlled by the United States, according to a source who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Bergdahl’s release in exchange for five senior Taliban figures held at Guantanamo Bay has been hailed as a breakthrough for peace efforts by a senior member of Afghanistan’s High Peace Council.

But it has come under fire from some US lawmakers.

Hagel’s trip comes a week after president Barack Obama made a surprise trip to hail the sacrifices of US soldiers in Afghanistan as combat troops prepare to pull out by the end of this year.

BDST: 1803 HRS, JUNE 01, 2014