Hebrew Media: Egyptian and Emirati officers visited Manbij in preparation for deployment of Arab forces

SANAA, Jan. 2 (YPA) – High ranking Officials from Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) recently visited the northern Syrian city of Manbij in preparation for deployment of troops of both states there, replacing the US soldiers who withdrew from the area, the Israeli Debka website reported.

“The Egyptian and Emirati officers toured the city and its surroundings, inspected the positions of US forces and the Kurdish People’s Protection units in the region, and made no observations about the future deployment of troops from their countries in the region,” the Debka news website quoted Israeli officials as saying on Monday.

The visits coincided with the White House’s consultations with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the officials said.

The initiative put forward by US President Donald Trump to enable the deployment of Arab troops to Manbij after the withdrawal of the Americans, with the United States ensuring air cover against any military action by Turkey, Syria and Russia, one of the officials added.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is the only leader who has always stood by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the conflict, so the idea of deploying Egyptian troops in the region may be acceptable to Damascus if Syrian officers are attached to it, the website said.

E.M