United States President George W Bush [Images], who is scheduled to reach India on Wednesday evening, made a surprise visit to Afghanistan, flying into Kabul secretly.

The visit is seen as a sign of support to the beleaguered Afghan government, which is battling rising violence from Al Qaeda [Images] and Taliban [Images] militants.

Reports said that Bush will be in Afghanistan for five hours.

The visit was not announced till Air Force One landed at the Bagram military base north of Kabul.

At the presidential palace in Kabul, President Hamid Karzai [Images] greeted Bush, who was accompanied by First Lady Laura Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice [Images].

Complete Coverage: The Bush visit