Syria has no plans to send troops to Yemen, a Syrian diplomatic source told state news agency SANA, dismissing reports of a possible deployment while adding that military co-operation with Saudi Arabia could eventually expand.
Saudi Arabia has been locked in worsening hostilities with the Iran-allied Houthis since July, when the wider conflict in the Middle East reignited the Yemen war, and Riyadh has since sought both defensive and offensive support from a range of allies.
Reuters reported on Friday, citing two Syrian military sources and a senior US official, that Syria had sent a limited number of military personnel to Saudi Arabia in recent weeks to provide military advice and training as the kingdom faces attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis.The source told SANA that the current military cooperation focused on training forces, building their capabilities and exchanging military expertise. Coordination visits by Saudi officials to Syria are set to begin next month, with the cooperation potentially developing into a mutual defence agreement or Syria joining the Mecca Pact, depending on the shared interests of both countries, the source said.
