U.S. envoy Allen arrives in Iraq, to visit Jordan, Egypt, Turkey

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama's envoy charged with building the coalition against the Islamic State militant group arrived in Iraq on Thursday and will also visit Belgium, Jordan, Egypt and Turkey, the State Department said. The group has overrun wide swaths of territory in Iraq and in Syria in an onslaught that has threatened the integrity of the Iraqi state and created even more instability inside Syria, which is embroiled in a three-year civil-old war. Retired General John Allen's trip aboad, his first in his new role, is "in support of international coalition efforts to degrade and defeat ISIL," the State Department said in a brief statement, referring to the Islamic State group. Allen, accompanied by his deputy, Brett McGurk, arrived in Iraq on Thursday to meet Iraqi officials and regional leaders "on U.S. support for and cooperation with Iraq in the fight against ISIL," the State Department said. U.S. officials have said Allen's main purpose is to garner greater support for the coalition, which has conducted air strikes against IS targets in Iraq and Syria. (Reporting by Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)