Reuters: Syria offers Saudi Arabia training and military advice against Houthis

A senior U.S. official and two Syrian military sources told Reuters that Damascus is providing Riyadh with advisory support and military training to counter Houthi attacks, while a Syrian diplomat described talk of deploying Syrian military personnel as premature.

A senior U.S. official and two Syrian military sources told Reuters that Saudi Arabia and Syria are cooperating militarily to counter attacks by Yemen's Houthi group, and that Damascus is providing the kingdom with advisory support, military training and military personnel.

The U.S. official said Syrian military advisory and training teams are heading to Saudi Arabia to train Saudi and Yemeni military units inside the kingdom, with the aim of strengthening their combat capabilities. The two Syrian sources confirmed that dozens of Syrian military personnel had arrived in Saudi Arabia in recent weeks. A senior Saudi official said: "Our Syrian partners are also helping us with their combat experience in confronting armed groups."

جنود سوريون خلال تدريب عسكري (أرشيف)

Meanwhile, a senior Syrian diplomat described talk of deploying military personnel as premature, saying Syria's current priorities are domestic security, border protection and reconstruction. The diplomat added that the defense agreement signed between Damascus and Riyadh includes advisory support, military training and the exchange of expertise. The U.S. official said Washington had urged Damascus to proceed cautiously because any Syrian involvement in the Yemen war could draw it into a broader regional conflict.

These developments follow a meeting in Riyadh between Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, where the two countries signed a defense agreement. The Saudi Fund for Development also signed six agreements worth more than $403 million with Syria's Ministry of Finance to provide soft loans for reconstruction and services projects. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said in Bahrain that discussions were underway on Syria joining the Mecca agreement signed by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye.

Reuters: Syria offers Saudi Arabia training and military advice against Houthis