Egyptian army spokesman Col. Gharib 'Abd al-Hafez revealed that Egyptian forces had been rushed to Saudi Arabia after Houthi militias hijacked a Emirates ship in the Red Sea.

Colonel 'Abd al-Hafez stated that the "Tabuk 5" maneuvers, one of the largest joint military exercises between the Egyptian and Saudi armies, were launched on Sunday with the participation of ground forces from the two countries.

In a statement on his Facebook page, an Egyptian military spokesman said that "Tubhak 5" is one of the biggest joint exercises between the two countries, in terms of the size of the forces participating in the maneuver, or in the variety of activities conducted as part of the maneuver.

Colonel Abdul Hafez noted that infantry and armored forces, including battle tanks, from both countries, are participating in "Tubach 5" maneuvers, in addition to elements from the special forces and paratroopers, as well as auxiliary forces from various corps.

The latest maneuver comes after the Arab coalition fighting Yemen led by Saudi Arabia in Yemen announced that the Houthi militia had hijacked a ship carrying the UAE flag while sailing in front of Khudeida province in northwestern Yemen.

Coalition spokesman Turkish Brigadier General al-Maliki said the Emirate ship was on a naval mission en route from the island of Socotra to the port of Jizan, carrying on board all the equipment of a Saudi field hospital it operated on the island.