Egypt to Take Part in London Anti-IS Meeting: UK

Ahram Online, , Tuesday 20 Jan 2015

Twenty states are expected to convene in London on Thursday to coordinate efforts against IS

The UK Foreign Office has said that Egypt and seven other Arab states will take part in an international meeting coordinating efforts against the Islamic State to be held in London on Thursday.

Farah Dakhlallah, the Arabic spokesperson of the UK Foreign Office, said on her official Twitter account that Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Egypt are expected to participate.

The meeting is aimed at coordinating efforts to fight against the militant organisation which has occupied swathes of Iraq and Syria. Twenty states are expected to take part in total.

Egypt is already part of a coalition made up of 10 Arab states, led by the US, formed against IS.

However, it has maintained that it will not send troops to fight the militant organisation but would instead give other kinds of support, including reforming religious discourse and helping stop the financing of terrorist groups.

In November, Sinai-based militant group Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis pledged allegiance to IS.The group has claimed responsibility for many militant attacks in Egypt over the last two years.

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