Egypt's security body agrees to help Saudi Arabia defend itself against Houthi attacks as fighting intensifies

Egypt pledges support

The council did not specify what assistance it would provide. On Saturday, el-Sissi called on parliament to authorize sending troops and military equipment abroad.

Fighting brings civilian casualties

In Yemen's rebel-held Saada province, an airstrike killed at least nine people, including five children and two women, according to the Houthi-run Health Ministry. Ministry spokesperson Anees al-Asbahi said 19 others were wounded, among them 11 children.

Al-Asbahi blamed Saudi Arabia, which had not immediately commented. The Houthis also said Saudi-led attacks had killed or wounded more than 30 people in 24 hours; the Associated Press could not independently verify their claim of 110 strikes on civilian sites.

Incidents reported in Saudi Arabia

A Saudi military spokesperson said a helicopter gunship crashed near Najran, killing its two crew members, because of a technical malfunction. The Houthis had earlier claimed they shot it down.

Saudi Civil Defense authorities later reported that a Houthi-fired projectile struck a residential area in Najran province, injuring six people. Houthi drones and missiles have also targeted airports and oil infrastructure across the kingdom.

Regional tensions deepen

The fighting has affected at least 19 people fatally, disrupted thousands of flights and rattled global markets. Yemen's government-held interim capital, Aden, has also seen attacks on its airport and a government-used palace in the past week.

Saudi Arabia has supported Yemen's internationally recognized government, while the Houthis have recently seized more territory along the Red Sea coast and near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Separately, Saudi Arabia's defense minister met the United Arab Emirates president Sunday to discuss closer cooperation, UAE news agency WAM reported.