Mogadishu (SD) – Acting US Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller paid an unannounced visit to Somalia on Friday, his first visit to Somalia.

Miller spent just a few hours in the capital, Mogadishu, meeting with some U.S. troops there, after leaving the U.S. military base at Camp Lemonier in neighboring Djibouti.

The Pentagon officials said the purpose of the trip was for the Secretary of defense to meet with the troops during the Thanksgiving holiday, the visit comes amid reports that the Trump administration plans to withdraw nearly all 700 US troops currently stationed in Somalia.

The trip also follows a NY Times report that a CIA soldier was recently killed in Somalia.

The US military in Somalia trains and advises Somali and AMISOM forces in the fight against al-Shabab, the main al-Qaeda affiliate.

The Pentagon has not yet officially announced the reduction of US troops in Somalia, but defense officials told CNN that a major reduction is expected in the coming days.

It’s not clear if Secretary Miller met with any of Somalia’s federal government officials.