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Report: 600 Syrian Troops May Head to Saudi Arabia as Damascus Denies Plans to Send Forces to Yemen
Syria is preparing to send around 600 special forces soldiers to Saudi Arabia next week, according to a report by the Associated Press, amid escalating clashes linked to the war in Yemen. The force may be deployed inside Saudi territory near the Yemeni border, with the possibility that it could take part in operations against the “Ansar Allah” movement (the Houthis).
Syrian officials told the agency that Saudi Arabia had stipulated that members of the force must hold Syrian citizenship and that it must not include foreign fighters who had previously joined Syrian factions during the years of war. The report was published on Sunday, November 8.
As part of the preparations, a Syrian military delegation led by Khaled Khattab, commander of the 82nd Division, visited Saudi Arabia for two weeks. Thirty-six Syrian military officials also visited a joint command and operations room in Jeddah, where they were briefed on the fronts and areas of operation, according to the agency.
Citing a regional official familiar with the arrangements, the report said that a limited number of Syrian military advisers had already arrived in Saudi Arabia to help train Yemeni forces inside the kingdom. However, it added that no Syrian fighters had been sent to Yemen by the time the report was published. This suggests that the force may be deployed inside Saudi Arabia, rather than entering Yemeni territory or taking part directly in the fighting.
In contrast, a Syrian diplomatic source denied that Damascus planned to send forces to Yemen, describing reports to that effect as “baseless” in remarks carried by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on November 7. The source said Syria’s priorities were to strengthen domestic security, rebuild the country and support economic recovery.
The source said current military cooperation with Saudi Arabia focuses on training, exchanging expertise and providing military consultations, adding that existing agreements include developing the capabilities of Syrian forces. The source also said Saudi coordination visits to Syria were expected to begin next month, without specifying their nature or the details of any training programs.
The source said cooperation could develop in the future into a mutual defense agreement or Syria’s joining what was described as the “Mecca Alliance.” These options, however, remain possibilities under consideration and are not announced agreements.
