CAIRO, Sept 13 (Aswat Masriya) – As an intellectual and cultural capital to the Muslim world, United States Secretary of State John Kerry said Egypt has a pivotal role to play in fighting Islamic State fighters in Iraq.

Kerry arrived in Cairo Saturday morning for the third time in three months, two days after Thursday's Jeddah talks, hosted by Saudi Arabi to discuss means of combating extremist groups within the region.

The talks managed to grant the U.S. the support of 10 Arab countries to launch a "coordinated military campaign" against Islamic State fighters in Iraq.

In a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shokri, Kerry said that U.S. President Barack Obama earlier explained that the U.S. believes the threat of the Islamic State can be eliminated through building a global coalition. He expressed his gratitude for Egypt and the Arab League's support for the coalition.

The U.S. secretary of state said apart from the much needed military support to combat Islamic State fighters in Iraq, humanitarian aid is also needed, alongside exerting efforts to stop the flow of foreign fighters into Iraq.

Shokri commented on a possible relation between Islamic State fighters and other militant groups in the region, especially in Egypt, stressing that such relation is being "monitored". He added that global action is needed to combat such militant groups.

Reuters had interviewed a member of the Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis militant group last week, largely active in Egypt's Sinai peninsula, who claimed that the group is in contact with and receives guidance from the Islamic State fighters in Iraq.

"[The Islamic State] claims to be fighting on behalf of Islam … but actually it has nothing to do with Islam," Kerry said. He added that he has "heard loud and clear from [Islamic] leader after leader" their utmost rejection of the Islamic State fighters' activities.

Kerry said he will attend on Monday an international conference on peace and security in Iraq. The conference, due to be held in Paris, will also be attended by Shokri and Arab League Secretary General Nabil al-Arabi, Kerry said.

Arriving from Turkey, Kerry is in Egypt on a two-day visit to meet with Egyptian officials and discuss the latest developments in the region.

The U.S. secretary of state met with Arabi in Cairo on Saturday to discuss the latest developments in Syria, Libya and Iraq, reported state-run news agency MENA.

The meeting parties discussed international efforts to combat terrorism. They also addressed the results of the Jeddah Talks, MENA reported.

Kerry began a tour to the Middle East on Tuesday, and took part in Thursday's Jeddah talks.The talks included representatives from Egypt, the U.S., Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and the six member-states of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Islamic State fighters have controlled large areas of Iraq and Syria recently. They have carried out a number of mass executions and beheaded two American journalists.

Kerry, the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Egypt, was in Cairo last July to discuss the situation in Gaza and a ceasefire initiative proposed by Egypt. 

This will be Kerry's third visit to Egypt since President Abdel fattah al-Sisi, the former army chief, was inaugurated president.