Syria to Send Some Military Personnel to Saudi Arabia as Riyadh Keeps Grappling With the Houthis

Syria will send a limited amount of military personnel to Saudi Arabia to provide military advice and training as the country keeps fighting with Yemen's Houthi rebels, according to a new report.

A senior U.S. official told Reuters that battle-hardened advisers and training teams were travelling to the country to help train units inside the Kingdom. Joint training exercises took place and more were were planned.

Turkey and Pakistan are also providing support to Saudi Arabia and Yemen as a result of their recently-signed joint defense agreement with Riyadh, in which an attack against one of them is considered an attack against all.

Ankara is sending defensive and technical support. An official told Reuters that the country won't send troops and its aid will be in the form of equipment, intelligence sharing and weapons systems.

Pakistan, in turn, has sent about 8,000 troops and air force fighter jets to conduct strikes, according to another report. Troops, however, are unlikely to engage in any fighting and will be tasked with defending Saudi oil infrastructure.

However, efforts so far appear to not have yielded significant results. The Iran-backed group has been making gains in its conflict with the internationally-recognized government and Riyadh, with the latest report noting they are now within 50 miles of Aden, the temporary capital of the former.

Reuters detailed that the development means the Houthis are now closer to Aden than they were since 2015, when they briefly entered the city before being driven out. It threatens positions linking the capital with the city of Taiz, a key corridor for the southwest region of the country.

The outlet went on to say that fighting continued on Monday after the Houthis took the Al-Maqatirah district days ago.

In fact, Riyadh reportedly asked Yemen's Houthi rebels what they would want to end hostilities, with the Houthis saying they want $51 billion to cover the cost of years of war and a lengthy blockade, The Wall Street Journal noted in another report.

They also want to be deemed as the rightful rulers of Yemen instead of the current government recognized by most of the international community.

However, Riyadh is concerned that complying could invite further attacks in the future, as well as more financial demands. Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman wants to achieve some military gains first, but is also concerned that a scenario involving ground troops could be met with backlash and heavy losses. Riyadh later rejected the report.