Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry has confirmed that Egypt is ready to deploy ground troops in Yemen ‘if needed’.
The Foreign Minister’s statements came as Arab Foreign Ministers met for an Arab League summit in Egypt’s red sea resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh.
The confirmation comes hours after Saudi Arabia declared that Egypt, Pakistan, Jordan, Morocco, Sudan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have all joined a coalition to protect ‘the legitimate Yemeni government’ and its people.
Earlier on Thursday, Egypt’s state media Al-Ahram reported that Egypt is coordinating with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries in the “Firmness/Decisive Storm” operation. The military support may include aerial, naval or ground support if needed, said Al-Ahram.
Following the announcement, Turkey, which has had rocky relations with Egypt and some Gulf countries, declared its support for the military intervention in Yemen.
Meanwhile, the United States vowed to provide “logistical and intelligence” support to the operation which has not yet been officially endorsed by the United Nations.
However, Iran has warned against the intervention in Yemen, saying that it would led to consequences. Iranian television reported that Saudi Arabia’s air strikes had killed 13 civilians in the capital city of Sana’a.
According to initial reports, senior Houthi leaders are alleged to have been killed in night-time airstrikes by Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia has said its force includes more than 100 warplanes and more than 130,000 ground troops.
Naval blockade
Shortly after announcing its military operation, Saudi Arabia declared it had imposed a naval blockade on Bab El-Mandab strait to prevent it from falling under Houthi control.
According to AFP, Egypt has also sent four naval warships to secure the strait.
Bab El-Mandab strait is a crucial interest for Egypt and has been cited as one of the reasons Egypt decided to intervene in Yemen. The strait is strategically positioned whereby if it falls under the control of an ‘enemy’ then passage through the Suez Canal can be prevented.
Foots of the destruction left by the night raid over #Sanaa #Yemen via @metesohtaoglu pic.twitter.com/EzpZX2wbQO — Elijah J. Magnier (@EjmAlrai) March 26, 2015
YEMEN’S PRESIDENT FLEES?
As Shiite Houthi rebels captured a key air base from forces loyal to Yemen’s President Hadi, AFP reported that the President has fled with Saudi diplomats from his palace in Aden.
Shortly before the claimed escape, Hadi’s Minister of Defence was captured by Houthi rebels.
According to AFP, which cited sources in the presidential guard, Hadi left by helicopter accompanied by diplomats from Saudi Arabia.
Just recorded this. Sounds in Sanaa. #airstrikes #Houthis pic.twitter.com/gfZwPA48RG — Ammar Al-Aulaqi (@ammar82) March 26, 2015
Nevertheless, independent news website Yemen Today said Hadi had not fled and that he is leading the armed resistance against the Houthis.
Following the news of his escape, Sky News Arabia reported that fighter jets had launched multiple attacks on the Presidential Palace in Aden.
Comments (8)
Nasser sent the Egyptian Army into Yemen. It did not work out well for Egypt. While much of the Army was in Yemen, the Israelis took the Sinai.
Just like the army should be in Sinai and along the Libyan border now.
Now Egypt is going to repay Saudi money with Egyptian blood in a tribal dispute in Yemen.
The Houthis are about as much of a threat to navigation in the Bab El Mandeb as the rock hyrax in Yemen are.
WTF man, this is none of our damn business, we got our own problems.
Of course, whatever Saudi wants we have to do because they gave us billions of $$ so I can’t blame our government, but this really sucks. I don’t want us to be dragged into this mess with Iranian proxies vs Sunni countries.
This is about Bab Al-Mandab and Iran’s influence in the region.
Egypt has as much interest in this as the gulf states.
I just don’t want Egypt to get dragged into a bigger conflict between Shiites and Sunnis….we have problems all over Egypt and not just in the Sinai. I don’t want our soldiers dying in other countries.
At the end of the day I acknowledge that it’s time to repay the favor to the Gulf countries who supported our government (except Qatar of course). It’s just unfortunate things happened this way.
Thats completely understandable but given the scale of this operation and the number of troops from all over the Middle East, there won’t be any need for Egyptian ground troops.
So far, Egypt has contributed in the form of naval defence and aerial assaults, ground troops won’t be necessary as it’ll all be over within a week or two.
As long as our boys are in the sky (launching strikes) or at sea (protecting Bab Al-Mandab) they’ll be home safe and sound.
Okay, let’s sit by and wait for yet another insurgency in Yemen, let’s add it to the list of Arab countries torn apart by ISIS, thus enlarging the Islamist threat in the region. The reality of the situation is that this should have happened a long time ago, we’re far behind. The Saudis took on a gutsy endeavor aimed at preventing an insurgency in Yemen in order to stabilize it, and in that sense; preventing ISIS from taking over like they have in Libya and Syria. Who appointed you military tactician?
We ought to take this issue head-on before it spreads out, and not confine to our borders and refrain from addressing the threats beyond them out of cowardice. We do have issues at home, and these issues are prominently in the form of security threats posed by Islamists funded, trained, brainwashed, and equipped by ISIS and its separate servile factions. The insurgency in Iraq was the fault of the U.S-led coalition at the time of the Iraq invasion and it’s the reason ISIS is the power it is today, that’s something you cannot deny. Waiting for them to deal with the consequences is going to render us hopeless and utterly destroyed, they’ve installed an epidemic in the Middle East that is holding us back from economic growth, and thus leaving politics in the hands of American puppets. They’ve inculcated in Arabs the false confidence that we are not able because we are not willing.
The Egyptian and Saudi military forces are by far the strongest in the region. If anybody should be dealing with the Yemen crisis, it should be its neighbors. Not Europeans, not Americans.
You’ve got to be kidding me or flat you lying to yourself. You think Saudi is preventing ISIS???? ISIS has been funded by Saudi, Qatar, and Turkey for years!! If anything, these Shiite Houthis are battling ISIS and Al Qaeda. Didn’t ISIS just bomb a Shiite mosque in Yemen where the Houthis were a few weeks ago?
We are fighting to help Al Qaeda in Yemen because that’s what Saudi wants. Saudi Arabia is the biggest terrorist financier on earth and everybody knows this.
Look at members of the Muslim Brotherhood, for the first time ever they are supporting what the Egyptian government is doing….hmm, I wonder why.
The Muslim Brotherhood has been supporting groups such as ISIS, Hamas, and Hezbollah because they’re all advocates of violence. Speak of facts, not assumptions. You have no proof the legislative and political body that is Saudi Arabia is any way involved in the funding of the Islamic State or providing them with arms. You are only assuming so. There are those with different goals who might be participating in the process because it’s a successful investment. Smuggle arms, narcotics, spread chaos, enjoy the profit. Charity services and whatnot may be participating, too. Most of them are illegitimate operations conducted by MB advocates and members.
There is no such thing as al-Qaeda, there is only ISIS and it has existed for years. No, not “everybody knows this.” Only those who are avid conspiracy theorists such as yourself. If you have proof, I’ll gladly look over it. If not, check your facts.