Syria is preparing to send an initial force of about 600 special forces fighters to Saudi Arabia in the coming week, a Syrian official told The Associated Press.
Three officials with knowledge of the plans said the fighters would deploy along the Saudi border and could potentially help Saudi Arabia against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment publicly.
Syrian military advisers have already deployed to Saudi Arabia, where a regional official said they have helped train Yemeni forces inside the kingdom. No fighters have been sent to Yemen, the officials said. Officials in Saudi Arabia did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
A Syrian delegation led by Khaled Khattab, commander of the 82nd Division, recently made a two-week visit to Saudi Arabia, one official said. A second official said 36 Syrian military officials visited a command and operations room in Jeddah staffed by Saudi and Yemeni officials.
An unnamed diplomatic official in Syria dismissed reports that Syrian forces were headed to Yemen, the state news agency SANA reported on Saturday. The official said the agreement with Saudi Arabia focuses on training Saudi forces and building their capabilities.
Separately, reports on Sunday said several explosions were heard in Riyadh and that a fire had broken out at Saudi Aramco oil facilities in Abqaiq in the Eastern Province, following early-morning attacks by Yemeni armed forces on targets inside Saudi Arabia. The reports could not be verified. Yemen’s health minister said on Sunday that 1,039 people had been killed or wounded in Saudi attacks and military operations since 13 July.
Background
Fighting between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces escalated this summer. The Houthis have also launched direct attacks on Saudi Arabia, the latest front in a regional conflict that began in February when the United States and Israel attacked Iran.
The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, signed in August by Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan, commits the three countries to regard an attack on one as an attack on all three. Two Syrian officials said Syria had already decided to join the pact, while the regional official said talks were still under way.
Syria and Saudi Arabia announced last week that they had signed a military cooperation agreement, without giving details. During a visit by Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa to Riyadh, the Saudi government agreed to lend Syria more than $400 million for the reconstruction of homes and basic infrastructure. Syria has turned down proposals from US President Donald Trump to intervene against Hezbollah in Lebanon, and al-Sharaa has said he wants to avoid new conflicts.
What it means
Saudi Arabia is one of the Gulf countries where many Sri Lankans work and send money home to their families. Sri Lankans with relatives in the kingdom can follow notices from the Sri Lanka Embassy in Riyadh and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which handle consular matters for citizens abroad.
The wider conflict has already affected trade routes in the region. Shipping disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz since March have pushed freight to alternative routes, including Sri Lanka’s Hambantota port, according to a recent industry white paper.
