New Delhi, July 20 - Indian Army chief General Deepak Kapoor Monday embarked on a five-day visit to the US, where he will hold discussions about the Af-Pak policy and regional security situation.

Underscoring India's role in the strife-torn Afghanistan-Pakistan region, Kapoor will hold parleys on the issue with senior US military and defence officials.

'The US is definitely interested in benefiting from India's expertise in the region (Afghanistan-Pakistan). The army chief will be interacting with the senior military and defence hierarchy to discuss the Af-Pak policy and the regional security situation,' a senior Indian Army official said, requesting anonymity.

The army chief's visit comes when US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in India.

With elections slated in Afghanistan Aug 20, the US would like to take lessons from the peaceful Lok Sabha elections held in India in April-May, the largest electoral exercise in the world.