Egypt moved closer Sunday to potentially joining the fighting between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, with parliament convening an emergency session after President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said Cairo was prepared to provide military support requested by Riyadh to defend the kingdom.
The development came as the Houthis said they shot down a Saudi Apache attack helicopter near the border region of Najran on Saturday.
Egypt’s House of Representatives scheduled its emergency session for 1 p.m. local time Sunday at el-Sisi’s request. Speaking at a military academy graduation ceremony Saturday, el-Sisi said Egypt was prepared to take any measures requested by Saudi Arabia to protect its security and sovereignty but stressed that such action “requires parliamentary approval.”
El-Sisi said any potential Egyptian military involvement would be strictly defensive rather than intended to wage war.
Yahya Ali al-Raee, speaker of Yemen’s House of Representatives, appealed to Egypt on Saturday not to enter the conflict militarily, Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported.
In a letter to Egyptian House of Representatives Speaker Hisham Badawi, al-Raee urged Cairo to support efforts toward a political settlement in Yemen instead. He accused Saudi Arabia of abandoning previous deescalation efforts and escalating military operations in Houthi-controlled areas and called for an end to hostilities and respect for “Yemen’s sovereignty.”
Al-Raee warned that Egyptian military involvement could further complicate the conflict and affect regional stability. He also cited what he described as Egypt’s longstanding support for Yemen’s unity and stability.
Two crew members were killed when a Saudi AH-6i reconnaissance helicopter crashed in the southwestern Najran region because of a technical malfunction, according to the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen.
Coalition spokesperson Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki said the helicopter, operated by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of National Guard, went down inside Saudi territory.
Yemen has been embroiled in conflict since late 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and much of northern Yemen. A Saudi Arabia-led coalition intervened in 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government.
Saudi Arabia and the Houthis have exchanged attacks and military warnings in recent days as hostilities between the two sides have intensified.
