Egypt's Sisi Defends Anti-Houthi Campaign

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi has defended a Saudi-led military campaign against Yemen's Shiite Houthi militant group.



"It was not possible to stand silent in the face of threats to the Yemeni people," al-Sisi said Friday at a meeting with Bahrain's King Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa.



The meeting came one day before the start of the 26th annual Arab League Summit, which will be held in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh on Saturday and Sunday.



"Regional developments necessitate the establishment of a joint Arab force mandated with defending Arab peoples," al-Sisi asserted.



On Thursday, a pre-summit Arab foreign ministers' meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh approved a draft resolution on the formation of a joint Arab rapid intervention force tasked with "protecting Arab national security against threats and terrorist groups."



Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi has said the draft would be tabled for endorsement at the summit.



Egypt is currently taking part in a Gulf-Arab military offensive, led by Saudi Arabia, against Yemen's Shiite Houthi group.



Saudi Arabia said that a series of airstrikes, launched late Wednesday night, were in response to calls by Yemeni President ABD Rabbuh Mansour Hadi for military intervention to "save the people of Yemen from the Houthi militias."



Fractious Yemen has been beset by turmoil since last September, when the Shiite group overran capital Sanaa, from which it has sought to extend its influence to other parts of the country as well.



Some Gulf countries accuse Shiite Iran of supporting the Houthi insurgency.



www.aa.com.tr/en - Kahire