Egyptian Foreign Minister says country's military is helping Saudi Arabia defend 'sensitive' sites
Egypt has sent its forces to Saudi Arabia to defend its ally against attacks by Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, the country's Foreign Minister has said. The Egyptian parliament voted last month in favour of sending troops to Saudi Arabia after President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s surprise announcement on October 17 that Cairo was prepared to help the kingdom militarily if asked. Badr…
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty announced on Tuesday that Egypt's military is currently assisting Saudi Arabia in defending its sensitive sites against attacks from Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. The decision came after President Abdel Fattah El Sisi's surprise announcement on October 17 that Cairo would provide military support if requested.
Abdelatty's comments to France 24 television marked the first official confirmation that Egyptian troops and weapons have already arrived in Saudi Arabia. The Egyptian military's presence is primarily focused on "defensive objectives to protect holy sites and other sensitive locations," including Islam's holiest shrines in Makkah and Madinah.
While Abdelatty did not disclose the exact number of Egyptian soldiers or the specific weapons sent, sources reported that several hundred troops, along with armored vehicles, anti-aircraft batteries, and surface-to-surface missiles, including the Amoun system, have been deployed. The mission, according to one source, is to defend Saudi Arabia without attacking the Houthis, but the Egyptian force is also authorized to defend itself if under attack.
The Houthi attacks have targeted Saudi Arabian airports, oil facilities, and military sites in recent weeks. Egypt, with its largest regional army, has previously provided limited military aid to its Gulf allies. The latest escalation in Saudi Arabia occurred amid the ongoing Yemeni civil war between a Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis, which has threatened to disrupt oil supplies and potentially trigger a wider conflict.
The Saudi-led coalition entered Yemen in 2015 at the request of the internationally recognized government to combat the Houthis, who had seized the capital, Sanaa, and controlled much of northern Yemen. A UN-brokered truce in 2022 maintained a fragile peace, but the coalition resumed its military campaign in Yemen in October to counter the Houthis' advances towards the strategic Bab Al Mandab strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
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