Arab army commanders will meet in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss forming a joint Arab force, state-news agency MENA reported. Arab leaders agreed in principle to form a joint force at the latest Arab summit held in March in order to face common security threats in the region. Membership of the force would be voluntary, according to the summit's final declaration. Most Arab countries backed the decision, except Algeria and Iraq which had reservations. Egypt's president Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi had called for the move in February, as Egypt conducted airstrikes on Islamic State targets in Libya, after the killing of 20 Egyptian Copts in the country by the militant group. Currently, Egypt is taking part in a Saudi-led coalition with Arab allies, to conduct strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen. Egypt took part in a Saudi-led coalition with Arab allies, to conduct strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen. However, operation “Decisive Storm” was announced over Tuesday, paving the way for political dialogue. Houthi fighters took over several cities in Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, in late 2014, a development which prompted Saudi Arabia and regional allies in late March to carry out airstrikes against them to halt their advance. http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/128343.aspx
