Syria is aiding Riyadh with military advice and training as Saudi Arabia comes under attack by Yemen’s Houthis, and has sent a limited number of military personnel to the kingdom, two Syrian military sources and a senior US official said.
The senior US official said advisers and training teams from Syria – where fighters became battle-hardened in years of war – were travelling to Saudi Arabia to help train Saudi and Yemeni units inside the kingdom to improve their combat effectiveness.
The two Syrian sources, who have direct knowledge of the matter, said scores of military personnel had gone from Syria to Saudi Arabia in recent weeks. They said advisory and training work was involved, but that their mandate could be broader.
In response to a request for comment, a senior Syrian diplomat said “any suggestion of military deployments at this stage is premature”, and that Syria’s focus remained on internal security, protecting its borders and reconstruction. –Agencies
