Egypt stresses right to defend expats against threats

Egypt has stressed its genuine right to defend its citizens abroad against any threat.
A Foreign Ministry statement said Monday Egypt's moves to counter threats against its expatriates are in line with articles of the UN Charter that give countries the legitimate right to defend themselves.
Earlier in the day, the Egyptian air force launched strikes that targeted weapon caches of the terrorist Daesh group in the Libyan city of Derna, the statement said.
Cairo reiterated calls for the international coalition against Daesh - in which it is party - to live up to its responsibilities in politically and financially supporting Egypt and in taking action against Daesh and other terrorist sites on Libyan soil.
Such groups pose a clear threat to world peace and security the same way Daesh threatens Syria and Iraq, the statement said.
Following directives by President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, the Foreign Ministry is contacting all world countries through Egyptian ambassadors abroad and foreign ambassadors in Cairo to post officials on developments regarding the barbaric crime and to stress the hazardous threat of the spread of terrorism in the world, particularly in Libya, it added.
The world community should live up to its responsibilities in taking immediate and effective action against terrorist organizations that adopt extremist ideologies, the statement said.
A firm intervention is needed to curb the threat of terrorist organizations to world peace and security, it stressed.
A crisis cell has been formed at the consular department to coordinate with authorities in a number of states neighboring Libya as part of efforts to assess the situation and its repercussions, the statement said.