CAIRO, Sept 10 (Aswat Masriya) – United States State Department Counselor Thomas Shannon arrived in Cairo on Wednesday morning, ahead of talks hosted by Saudi Arabia to discuss means of combating extremist groups within the region.

Shannon is scheduled to meet with Egyptian officials to discuss several issues of mutual interest, reported state-run news agency MENA.

The State Department Counselor's visit shortly follows that of David Thorn, senior advisor to the secretary of state, who arrived in Cairo on Tuesday night on a four-day visit, reported MENA. Arriving from the Saudi Arabian capital, Thorn is in Cairo to discuss the latest developments in the region, especially in the Gaza Strip, Iraq, Libya and Syria.

Saudi Arabia announced on Tuesday it will hold talks about militant violence within the region on Thursday. The talks, attended by representatives from the United States and Muslim countries, will determine the nature of the alliance expected to be formed to face the threat of the Islamic State, an extremist group currently active on the Iraqi border with Syria.

The U.S. is pursuing the formation of an Arab alliance to resist the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). U.S. president Barack Obama has called on Arab countries to consider a joint military operation to fight ISIL. Obama has ordered the launch of airstrikes targeting ISIL in Iraq.

The U.S. president is expected to lay out a plan to combat the ISIL during a speech in memory of the September 11 attacks' 13th anniversary on Wednesday.

ISIL have controlled large areas of Iraq and Syria recently.