Egypt's military has said that it has not deployed ground troops to war-torn Yemen as part of the Saudi-led military offensive against Houthi rebels there. The military spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday that Egypt, which is part of the coalition, had only sent naval and air forces to Yemen. He also said that media reports claiming that Egyptian soldiers have died in Yemen are false. Earlier this year Houthi fighters took over several cities in Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, a development which prompted Saudi Arabia and regional allies in late March to carry out airstrikes against them to halt their advance. Explaining Egypt's support for the military campaign, Presidenit Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said that securing the Bab Al-Mandab strait off the Yemen coast was "a top priority for Egypt's national security." "Our benefit is in the security and stability of the Arab countries, and the whole world if possible," El-Sisi said earlier this year. "We will not let down our brotherly Gulf countries." Around 1,200 Egyptian expats have been evacuated from Yemen so far, Egypt's foreign ministry said on Friday. http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/127619.aspx
