Media: Syria is considering sending troops to Yemen to fight the Houthis

Saudi Arabia and Syria are discussing the possibility of sending between 10,000 and 20,000 Syrian servicemen to Yemen to take part in military operations against the Yemeni rebel movement of the Houthis, "Ansar Allah."

This was reported by the Axios portal, citing its sources.

According to them, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is seriously considering the possibility of sending troops to Yemen, but has not yet made a final decision. At the same time, Damascus and Riyadh have consulted on the matter with Washington, which said it was not opposed to such a step. The U.S. administration is confident that al-Sharaa will send troops to the republic. American authorities believe that the deployment of Syrian troops in Yemen will strengthen relations between Saudi Arabia and Syria.

As the portal notes, sending Syrian troops could give the war in Yemen a religious character and aggravate the conflict. The contingent may include Sunnis, who would fight against the Shiites of "Ansar Allah."

In Yemen, an armed confrontation between the Houthis and government forces supported by the Arabian coalition led by Riyadh has been ongoing since August 2014. In early August, the "Ansar Allah" movement launched an offensive in the southwest of the country, establishing control over the port of Mokha and access to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. On October 4, the Yemeni army announced the start of a large-scale military operation against the rebels, regaining control over the Zubab district.