Cairo, Oct. 18 -- Egypt's National Defence Council has approved sending military forces to Saudi Arabia on a defensive mission, Egyptian MP Mostafa Bakry announced on Sunday, October 18. Parliamentary authorisation is still pending, with a vote potentially scheduled for Tuesday, he said.

Bakry announced the decision on X following a meeting of the council chaired by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo. He said the council had approved the deployment and defined the mission assigned to the forces.

The Egyptian House of Representatives is holding discussions over three days, from Sunday to Tuesday. Bakry attributed the extended proceedings to the number of lawmakers seeking to speak.

The proposal follows Sisi's statement on Saturday,...