Syria aids Saudi Arabia with military advice, training amid Houthi attacks, sources say

Syria is providing military advice and training to Saudi Arabia amid Houthi attacks, according to Syrian military sources and a senior US official. A defense cooperation deal signed Wednesday includes advisory support and training. Scores of Syrian personnel have traveled to the kingdom in recent weeks.

Syria is aiding Saudi Arabia with military advice and training as the kingdom faces intensified attacks from Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis, according to two Syrian military sources and a senior US official. A Syrian-Saudi defense cooperation deal signed on Wednesday includes advisory support, training, and exchange of expertise, a senior Syrian diplomat said. Scores of Syrian military personnel have traveled to Saudi Arabia in recent weeks, the Syrian sources said, with a mandate that could be broader than training. The US has urged Damascus to move cautiously, warning that any Syrian deployment to Yemen risks embroiling the country in the wider regional war. A senior Saudi official confirmed ongoing expertise sharing, mainly to restructure Syrian forces, but noted that Syrian partners also contribute combat experience against militias. The Houthis have seized territory and fired missiles at Saudi airports and oil facilities since the Yemen war reignited in July.