The Egyptian parliament on Monday, gave approval to a possible deployment of troops beyond its borders, after President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi spoke of potential military operations in neighbouring Libya.

Lawmakers unanimously approved “the deployment of members of the Egyptian armed forces on combat missions outside Egypt’s borders to defend Egyptian national security against criminal armed militias and foreign terrorist elements,” the parliament said in a statement.

Monday’s vote took place in a closed session where members of parliament discussed “threats faced by the state” from the west, where Egypt shares a porous desert border with war-torn Libya.

The vote came a day after the Egyptian president met the National Defense Council which includes the parliament speaker, the defense minister, the foreign minister and military commanders.

Sisi has warned that advances by forces backing the western Libyan-based Government of National Accord also known as GNA on the city of Sirte could prompt an Egyptian military intervention.

The GNA called his warnings a “declaration of war”.