Reuters: Syria Provides Military Advice and Training to Saudi Arabia Amid Escalating Houthi Attacks

Syria has redeployed a limited number of its military personnel to Saudi Arabia to provide advice and training to Saudi and Yemeni forces, as part of supporting Riyadh against attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi group, according to «Reuters», citing Syrian military sources and a senior U.S. official.

The sources said in a report published by the agency on Friday that dozens of Syrian military personnel have moved to Saudi Arabia in recent weeks to participate in advisory and training missions, noting that the scope of this mission may go beyond training and experience exchange.

Reuters quoted a senior U.S. official as saying that Syrian advisors and training teams are heading to the Kingdom to help train Saudi and Yemeni units, aiming to enhance their combat efficiency by leveraging the experience Syrian fighters gained during years of war in their country.

While a senior Syrian diplomat declined to confirm the deployment of military personnel, considering it «premature» to discuss, he clarified that the defense cooperation agreement signed by Damascus and Riyadh last Wednesday explicitly includes advisory support, training, and experience exchange.

For his part, a senior Saudi official told Reuters that the exchange of expertise with Syria is primarily aimed at restructuring the Syrian forces, but he did not rule out his country benefiting from Syria's combat experience in facing armed groups, confirming that joint exercises between the two countries are underway, with more planned in the security and defense fields.

The agreement was signed during Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa's visit to Riyadh, where he met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in their second meeting in less than a month, without additional details about the agreement being announced.

In contrast, Reuters quoted the U.S. official as saying that Washington has urged Damascus to exercise caution, warning that any Syrian military deployment to participate in the war in Yemen could draw the country into a wider regional conflict that Syria has so far avoided.

The Saudi and Syrian governments, the U.S. State Department, the Riyadh-backed Yemeni government, and the Houthi group did not respond to the agency's requests for comment.

These moves come amid escalating confrontations between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi group since the resumption of the war in Yemen last July, against the backdrop of the widening conflict in the Middle East, according to the report.

Reuters said the Houthis have seized areas that were under the control of the Yemeni government on some fronts, while government forces have made limited gains in other areas. They have also launched missiles at Saudi airports and oil facilities, while the Kingdom has carried out airstrikes in support of its allies in Yemen.

The agency had reported last October that Syria was considering providing military support to Saudi Arabia, including defensive options to protect the Kingdom from attacks, or sending troops for offensive operations to support Riyadh-backed Yemeni forces in fighting the Houthis.

It also quoted Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani as saying during a recent conference in Bahrain that Damascus is holding talks about joining the Mecca Agreement, stressing that the security of the Arabian Gulf is part of Syria's regional security, and that his country stands with the Gulf states in facing challenges and «transnational militias».