Egyptian Foreign Minister says country’s military is helping Saudi Arabia defend ‘sensitive’ sites

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According to The National, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty confirmed in an interview with France 24 television aired on Tuesday night that Egyptian troops and weapons are present on Saudi soil, marking the first official confirmation from Cairo. Mr Abdelatty stated that the military presence is at the request of Saudi Arabia with mainly defensive objectives to defend sensitive sites, including holy shrines in Makkah and Madinah. Sources briefed on the matter said the troops number in the hundreds, and along with personnel, Egypt has sent armor, anti-aircraft batteries including the Amoun system, and surface-to-surface missiles. The sources added that the mission is for the Egyptian force to defend Saudi Arabia and not attack the Houthis, though they are authorised to defend themselves if attacked. Saudi Arabia has yet to publicly comment on the military assistance.