CAIRO (AP) – Egypt and Saudi Arabia are mulling whether to hold a joint military exercise in the kingdom as airstrikes by a Saudi-led coalition are continuing to pound Shiite rebels in Yemen.
The airstrikes targeting Yemeni rebels known as Houthis began on March 26 in an effort to halt their power grab. Hundreds of people have been killed and over 121,000 have been displaced amid the turmoil and fighting.
The Houthis have captured Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, and forced Western-backed President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi to flee the country.
A statement late Tuesday from Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi’s office says he held talks with Saudi Defense Minister Mohammed bin Salman in Cairo about holding “a major strategic exercise” in the kingdom involving Egyptian, Saudi and other Gulf forces.