CAIRO: Egypt’s National Defence Council has approved the deployment of troops to Saudi Arabia on a defensive mission, an Egyptian Member of Parliament announced on Sunday, with the nation’s parliament scheduled to evaluate the military deployment in an emergency session.
Mostafa Bakry, a member of the House of Representatives, reported on X that the council had approved both the deployment and the troops’ assigned mission during a high-level meeting chaired by President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi. Parliament was scheduled to convene at 1:00 PM Cairo time on Sunday, October 18, under Speaker Hesham Badawy. While the official presidential account of the meeting pledged unreserved support for Saudi Arabia’s security, it stopped short of explicitly announcing a troop deployment. The presidential statement outlined three key commitments: solid solidarity with the Kingdom, provision of all necessary and possible assistance for its defence, and intensified diplomatic initiatives aimed at de-escalating regional tensions.
The emergency parliamentary session follows President Sisi’s call on Saturday seeking authorization to initiate defensive measures in support of Saudi Arabia should the Kingdom request them. “Egypt is prepared to take any measure Saudi Arabia requests to defend its security and sovereignty,” Sisi declared during a graduation ceremony at the Egyptian Military Academy.
He stressed that any military course of action would be purely defensive and executed strictly upon Saudi Arabia’s explicit request, aligned with the directives of King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Sunday’s council meeting at Al Ittihadiya Palace brought together top political, military, and intelligence figures, including the parliamentary speaker, prime minister, defence minister, armed forces chief of staff, and the ministers of interior, finance, and foreign affairs.
According to the official presidential release, the council thoroughly reviewed regional developments, focusing specifically on the escalating and unacceptable series of attacks directed at Saudi Arabia.
For more details: Navamalayalam.com