Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed in an official statement, Saturday, its condolences to Saudi Arabia’s government and people following the deaths of 10 Saudi soldiers in Yemen on Friday.
The statement followed the deaths of the soldiers who were participating in the ongoing military operations in Yemen. According to the ministry, the soldiers were defending the “legitimacy and supporting the task of restoring stability”.
The ministry also sent condolences to the families of the martyrs, “asking Allah to inspire them patience and fortitude”.
Brigadier General Ahmad Asiri, spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition forces, announced on a local Saudi TV channel on Saturday, that 10 soldiers were killed in an explosion at a weapons store in the city of Maarib. More soldiers were wounded in the explosion, and were taken to hospital for further treatment, with most later discharged.
“The announcement of the outcome of the Saudis martyrs came late because of the time it took to transfer some of the wounded who died later,” he said.
On Friday night, 22 Emirati soldiers were killed after an attack by militants belonging to Ansar Allah, more commonly referred to as the Houthis, on their camp in Maarib, according to the official UAE news agency.
Meanwhile, five Bahraini soldiers were killed on the southern borders between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, the official Bahraini news agency announced, without providing further details on their deaths.
Asiri said the military operations would continue to achieve its goals, pointing out that “there will be no complacency in the face of the Houthis”.
Egypt has been engaged in the conflict by supporting Gulf countries, especially Saudi Arabia, in their attack against Yemenis. Following the ouster of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood regime in 2013, Saudi Arabia granted Egypt more than $5bn in aid, in addition to other in-kind aid and development projects.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met with his Yemeni counterpart, Riyad Yassin, on 30 August, to review the latest updates on the Yemen conflict and discuss bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
As ships en route between the GCC and the Mediterranean pass through Yemen’s coastal waters, the country’s security status is crucial for several countries, especially oil exporting ones. However, Yemen has a history of conflict and division attempts between the north and the south.
