Egypt cuts ties with Syria, calls for enforcing no-fly zone

President Mursi's announcement was met with zealous appalause

Egypt has severed diplomatic ties with Syria and asked the world powers to enforce a no-fly zone over the war-torn country as part of efforts to oust embattled Syrian regime led by President Bashar Al-Asaad.

"The Egyptian people and army are supporting the Syrian uprising," President Mohamed Mursi announced at a rally here yesterday.

Mursi's announcement met zealous applause and chants from some 20,000 supporters.

"We have decided to close down the Syrian embassy in Cairo," said Mursi, making Egypt the third Arab country to end ties with the war-torn country after Libya and Tunisia. "The Egyptian envoy in Damascus will also be withdrawn."

"The people of Egypt and its army will not leave Syrians until their rights are granted and a new elected leadership is chosen," he added, saying that requested an emergency meeting by the Arab League to discuss possible means of supporting Syria.

He also urged the world powers to enforce a no-fly zone over Syria (like that the NATO imposed on Libya during the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi).

He also asked Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Shiite militant group which has been fighting alongside troops loyal to Assad against the mostly Sunni rebels, to leave Syria.

"Hezbollah must leave Syria; there is no place for Hezbollah in Syria," he said.

The suggestion for a no-fly zone was considered by the White House on Friday. The implementation of no-fly zone will requite the destruction of Syria's Russian-built air defenses.

"The Egyptian people have stood by the Lebanese people and Hezbollah against the [Israeli] attack in 2006, and today we stand against Hezbollah for Syria," he said.

According to the United Nations' human rights office almost 93,000 people have been killed in the Syrian conflict.

The analysis found 92,901 documented killings in Syria between March 2011 and the end of April 2013.