The key facts
- AP: Syria is preparing to send about 600 special forces soldiers to Saudi Arabia within the coming week
- Damascus denies plans for war in Yemen; the Foreign Ministry speaks only of military training and consultations
- The Houthis previously said 33 people were killed in Saudi Arabia's strikes on Yemen
AP report on the planned troop deployment
According to the Associated Press, citing sources in the Syrian government, Syria is preparing to send about 600 special forces soldiers to Saudi Arabia to help fight the Yemeni Houthis. The troops are expected to be stationed near the border with Yemen within the coming week. Life.ru reports the details, citing the news agency.
What is already happening on the ground
According to AP, a small group of Syrian military advisers is already in Saudi Arabia: they are helping train Yemeni units fighting against the Houthis. Syrian fighters have not yet been sent to Yemen itself. The agency's sources also said that Khaled Khattab, commander of the 82nd Division of the Syrian army, recently visited the kingdom along with other military personnel; part of the delegation visited the command center in Jeddah, where the Syrians were briefed on the situation at the front.
Damascus's denial
The Syrian authorities deny reports of plans to send troops to Yemen. Damascus stated that cooperation with Saudi Arabia is so far limited to military training, exchange of experience, and consultations. Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani emphasized on November 9 that the country does not plan to send soldiers to Yemen in the near future, adding that if such a decision is made, it will be officially announced. Thus, at this point only the presence of advisers and the training of Yemeni units have been confirmed, while reports of the deployment of 600 fighters remain information from AP sources, which the Syrian side denies.
Context of the escalation
The possible deployment is being discussed against the backdrop of an escalating conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, who control a significant part of Yemen and regularly attack targets on the kingdom's territory; Riyadh supports the Yemeni government forces. Earlier, Life.ru reported that the Houthis said 33 people were killed in Saudi Arabia's strikes on Yemen: according to representatives of the movement, the strike hit a village east of Sanaa, and the number of wounded reached 39. These claims come from the Houthis themselves and were not independently verified in the publication.
