Egypt announced Sunday that it would provide support to Saudi Arabia as the kingdom faces an intensifying military confrontation with Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, raising the prospect of greater Egyptian involvement in the widening regional conflict.
The decision was made by Egypt's National Defense Council, chaired by President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi, approximately one month after a visit to Cairo by the Saudi crown prince.
According to a statement from the Egyptian presidency quoted by The Associated Press, the council agreed to provide “all possible forms of support" to help Saudi Arabia protect its national security.
The announcement did not specify what assistance Egypt intends to provide or whether Egyptian forces would participate directly in military operations.
However, Al-Sisi had asked parliament on Saturday to authorize the deployment of Egyptian troops and military equipment outside the country.
The decision comes as Saudi Arabia seeks military assistance from regional allies following repeated Houthi missile and drone attacks targeting airports and oil facilities across the kingdom.
The renewed hostilities in Yemen began in July, when fighting resumed between the Iran-backed Houthis and the internationally recognized Yemeni government, which receives military support from a Saudi-led coalition.
The rebels have used weapons capable of changing direction during flight, complicating efforts by Saudi air defenses to intercept them.
At least 19 people have been killed in the attacks, while thousands of flights have been disrupted and the fighting has unsettled international markets.
The Saudi-Houthi confrontation has become another major front in the broader war involving Iran.
The escalation has also intensified fighting inside Yemen, where the civil war has resumed and civilians on both sides of the Saudi-Yemeni border face growing danger.
In Aden, the interim capital of Yemen's internationally recognized government, both the airport and a palace used by government officials have come under attack during the past week.
On Sunday, the Houthi-run Health Ministry reported that an airstrike in the northern province of Saada had killed at least nine people, including five children and two women.
Ministry spokesperson Anees al-Asbahi said the strike hit a house in the Sahar district, injuring another 19 people, including 11 children. Some of the wounded were in critical condition, he said.
Al-Asbahi accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out the strike. Saudi authorities did not immediately comment on the allegation.
The Houthi-operated al-Masirah television channel broadcast footage showing people searching through debris and rescuing two young people from the rubble.
The rebels also claimed that attacks by Saudi-led forces had killed or injured more than 30 people over the preceding 24 hours.
Houthi military spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree alleged that 110 missiles or airstrikes had targeted civilian locations in Sanaa and other Yemeni cities.
The Associated Press said it could not independently verify those claims.
Across the border, Saudi authorities reported that a military helicopter had crashed near Najran in the kingdom's southwest, killing both crew members.
A Saudi military spokesperson attributed the crash to a technical malfunction.
The Houthis had earlier claimed responsibility for shooting down the aircraft, contradicting the Saudi explanation.
Later Sunday, Saudi Civil Defense authorities reported that a projectile launched by the Houthis had struck a residential neighborhood in Najran province, injuring six people.