Kerry rallies support for US 'war' on IS

US Secretary of State John Kerry said yesterday Egypt was on the frontline against "terrorism" after meeting its leadership to garner support to fight jihadists in Iraq and Syria.

Egypt's formidable army is unlikely to take part in a military coalition against the Islamic State jihadists, but it has closely cooperated with the United States on counter-terrorism.

The Arab world's most populous state boasts the prestigious Sunni Muslim authority Al-Azhar which Kerry said would fight back against the Islamic State's use of the religion.

Kerry, who flew in from Ankara, met President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi.

Cairo's involvement in the coalition may help to soothe its relations with Washington, after the United States suspended -- then restored -- military aid when the army ousted elected Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.

Morsi's successor, former army chief Sisi, is fighting Islamist militants in the restive Sinai Peninsula who have expressed support for the Islamic State.

"Egypt is on the frontline of the fight against terrorism, particularly when it comes to fighting extremist groups in Sinai," Kerry told a news conference with Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri.

After securing the backing of 10 Arab governments this week, Washington is seeking a stamp of approval for its campaign from Egypt and its religious institutions, which include Al-Azhar university.

"As an intellectual and cultural capital in the Muslim world, Egypt has a critical role to play in publicly denouncing the ideology that ISIL disseminates," Kerry said, using another acronym for IS.

Egypt has branded its Islamist political opposition as well as militants as "terrorists" vaguely linked to regional militant groups.

"We of course monitor the relation between the different organisations, and their ideology is linked," Shoukri said.

Kerry said he also had a "frank" discussion on human rights in Egypt amid a bloody crackdown on the government's opponents, and the jailing of three Al-Jazeera television journalists and secular dissidents.