CAIRO: The Egyptian presidency denied Wednesday media reports claiming that Egypt has sent 800 ground troops to Yemen to face Iran-backed Houthis armed group.
“Such claims are groundless,” anonymous presidential official was quoted by Youm7 Wednesday.
Reuters reported that anonymous Egyptian security forces had said that four units of ground troops, around 150-200 troops for each, and tanks and personnel carriers were sent to Yemen Tuesday to participate in the Saudi-led military campaign against the Houthis.
Egypt is one of nine member states that participated in the military coalition in Yemen against the Houthis, who have controlled northern parts of the country since January. Since March coalition troops have launched airstrikes against the Houthis.
The Egyptian military participated by sending air and naval troops, particularly near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a strategic maritime waterway for the Suez Canal as it connects the Arab gulf and the Red Sea.
On Aug. 1, Egypt’s National Defense Council, presided by President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, extended for the second time Egyptian military presence in Gulf Region and at the strait for more six months.
Approximately 400 children have been killed and about 600 others injured in the war in Yemen, while nearly 10 million children need humanitarian aid, said the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Saturday.
The International Red Cross chairperson told AP Aug. 19 that more than 1,900 people have been killed since March.