Egypt denies alleged military involvement in Libya

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi on Sunday denied that Egyptian armed forces had intervened militarily on Libyan territories.
The president, during a meeting with chief editors of the local press, said there were neither Egyptian military aircraft nor military forces in Libya. He also denied that Egyptian aircraft had carried out raids on Libyan territories.
The president's denial came after armed Islamic groups in Libya claimed that at least one Egyptian military aircraft took part in bombing militants' positions in the Tripoli region.
Touching on other issues, President Al-Sisi affirmed Egypt would continue to support the Palestinians' cause, namely establishment of a Palestinian state on the territories occupied in 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital. He also affirmed that it would continue to secure humanitarian aid for the Palestinians through the land Rafah passageway, "but this matter is related to the Egyptian national security." On Syria, he stated that his government supports neither the regime nor the opposition. Cairo's sole concern in this respect is preserving Syria's territorial unity and sanctity.
He assured the people that there was no justification to be scared of the Islamic militants, namely the "Islamic state" militia, that his leadership would spare no effort to safeguard the nation's share in the Nile waters and affirmed that Egypt was no longer involved in gas trades with Israel.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry issued a statement echoing Al-Sisi's denial of military involvement in Libya. It hoped the Libyans would speedily form a coalition government after election of a parliament.