Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has said he supports the Syrian military, a position at odds with his country's Gulf benefactors like Saudi Arabia. The former army chief, who has overseen a warming of ties with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's main backer Russia, made the comments during an interview aired Tuesday with Portuguese broadcaster RTP TV. Asked by the interviewer whether he meant the Syrian military, he responded: "Yes." Saudi Arabia backs rebels trying to oust Assad, while Russia and Iran are supporting him militarily. In his interview, Sisi maintained Egypt's broad position on resolving the Syrian conflict, saying the solution must be "political".

Source: Egypt Independent November 24, 2016 09:13 UTC