Egypt's defence council agrees to extend military mission abroad once again

Saturday 01-08-2015 05:50 PM
Egypt's defence council agrees to extend military mission abroad once again

Fire is seen at a military site after it was hit by an air strike on the Faj Attan mountain of Sanaa March 30, 2015. REUTERS/Mohamed al-Sayaghi

By

CAIRO, Aug 1 (Aswat Masriya) - The National Defence Council of Egypt approved on Saturday the extension of the participation of Egyptian military personnel in a combat mission abroad in defence of Egyptian and Arabic national security. 

The military mission referred to is being carried out in the "Gulf, Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb area," a statement issued by the president's office said and has been extended by six months or until the mission is complete, whichever comes first.   

The extension came during a meeting of the defence council, led by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Egypt is part of the Saudi-led coalition which launched military operations against the Houthis in Yemen on March 26, after the Shia rebel movement made advances onto the Yemeni south.

The Egyptian state fears that potential Houthi control over Bab al-Mandeb lying between Yemen and the Horn of Africa would affect navigation into the Suez Canal, a strategic waterway for Egypt which brings in billions of dollars in annual revenues. 

Troops deployed by Egypt as part of the combat mission in March were initially sent on a 40-day mission, according to a presidential decree. The mission was extended by three months in early May. 

facebook comments