KABUL — Vice President Mike Pence arrived in Afghanistan on Thursday for an unannounced visit with US troops, many of whom were just children when war began here more than 16 years ago, and to meet with top Afghan leaders to discuss President Trump’s strategy for the conflict.

Pence’s journey here was shrouded in secrecy, with only a few members of his own staff aware of the trip and its preparations. He slipped out of Washington on Wednesday afternoon so that he could arrive at Bagram Airfield near Kabul long after the sun had set on Thursday. He traveled in a nondescript C-17 instead of a traditionally labeled Air Force 2.

In the dark of night, he traveled via helicopter to the Presidential Palace in Kabul, a trip that almost didn’t happen because visibility was low. Four helicopters took off with their pilots not knowing if they would be able to land. After circling over Kabul, there was a brief break in the weather, allowing Pence to swoop in.

The vice president met with President Ashraf Ghani and the country’s chief executive, Abdullah Abdullah, both of whom he regularly speaks with.

‘‘I hope my presence here is tangible evidence’’ of the Trump administration’s commitment to Afghanistan, Pence said in the opening minutes of a meeting with Ghani and his staff.

ASSOCIATED PRESS