DUBAI: Thousands of Syrian troops are set to deploy to Saudi Arabia and Yemen, with some already on the ground, multiple Yemeni officials said. Hundreds have already been deployed to both sides of the border, according to three separate Yemeni military sources and a defence official. But more are coming.
Syria will send around 3,000 troops to join the Saudi-led coalition's fight, a source from the Presidential Leadership Council, Yemen's top governing body, said. "The Syrian side and the Saudi side agreed to send around 3,000 troops to fight against the Ansar Allah group," said the source, who requested anonymity.
The arrangement was greenlit during Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa's visit to Riyadh this week, where the two countries signed cooperation agreements, including a defence deal. Those already stationed on the Yemeni side of the border at the moment are leading drone operations against the Ansar Allah in the area, one of the military officials said.
The Yemeni group has ramped up attacks on the kingdom in recent weeks after a truce collapsed over the summer, forcing Riyadh airport shut for two weeks after fatal strikes there and threatening Saudi Arabia's vast economic diversification plans. — AFP
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