Egypt deployed forces to Saudi Arabia before Sisi's public pledge of military support, sources say

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Egypt sent troops, Rafale fighter jets, helicopters and transport aircraft to the kingdom despite major disagreements within the military's top brass over Cairo's role in the conflict

Egypt deployed forces and military aircraft to Saudi Arabia and moved air defence systems to strategic locations across the country long before President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi publicly pledged Cairo's support for Riyadh, Egyptian military sources have told Middle East Eye.

The deployment included a squadron of Rafale fighter jets, eight helicopters and four large transport aircraft, an Egyptian military source said on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak with the media.

Egyptian naval warships had also moved towards the southern Red Sea, near the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, the source added.

The reported naval movements came amid growing Egyptian concern over the security of Red Sea shipping lanes and the threat posed by Houthi attacks in Yemen.

In August, Egypt reportedly increased its naval presence near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, with reports claiming that modern frigates and corvettes had been deployed towards the southern entrance of the Red Sea.

Separately, Al Jazeera Arabic's open-source investigations unit reported last month that flight-tracking data had identified two Egyptian military C-130 Hercules transport aircraft operating in Saudi airspace.

The aircraft, identified by their registration numbers SU-BAI and SU-BEW, were tracked over western Saudi Arabia before their signals disappeared.

One was subsequently detected over northwestern Saudi Arabia, before its signal disappeared again while it was flying towards the Red Sea coast near Al Wajh.

One of the military sources told MEE that Egypt had also repositioned several air defence systems, including Skyguard-Amoun batteries, to strategic locations in the east and south of the country.

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