Egypt has decided to extend its participation in the Saudi aggression against Yemen for another six months.

“The National Defense Council agreed to prolong the participation of its troops... for six months, or until the end of the combat mission,” the Office of the Egyptian Presidency said a statement on Saturday.

In May, Egyptian authorities renewed the combat mission in Yemen by three months.

The recent statement described the purpose of its mission in Yemen as being to “defend Egyptian and Arab national security.”

Previously, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Cairo’s involvement in the Saudi aggression in Yemen was meant to secure navigation in the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.

Egyptian air force jets have been involved in the bombing campaign in Yemen since the first airstrikes in the Saudi aggression began on the country on March 26.

The humanitarian situation in Yemen has since deteriorated, with the airstrikes and tight naval siege of the country taking a heavy toll on the civil Yemeni population.