Egyptian Armed Forces' Chief of Staff Mahmud Hegazy (right) talks to his Qatari counterpart Ghanim bin Shaheen al-Ghanim at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, on April 22, 2015. Photo: AFP

(VOVworld)- Army chiefs of staff from Arab League (AL) nations began work Wednesday on building a region-wide military force to combat jihadists like the Islamic State.
Attending the Arab Armed Forces' Chiefs of Staff meeting at the Arab League's Cairo headquarters, AL Secretary General Nabil al-Arabi said the creation of a joint Arab force is in no way intended to form a new alliance or army hostile to any country, only to fight terrorism and maintain security, peace and stability in the region.
The meeting, which was chaired by Egyptian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Mahmud Hegazy, discussed the composition, precise rules of engagement, and required budget of the joint defense force.