Damascus:Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani announced that Syria has not sent troops to Yemen and has no plans to do so, emphasizing that the military cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia does not involve deploying Syrian forces to the conflict-ridden nation.

According to Anadolu Agency, Shaibani clarified during a joint news conference with Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi at Tishreen Palace that any decision to deploy Syrian military forces abroad would be made public rather than kept secret. He reiterated Syria's support for Yemen's internationally recognized government and criticized the Houthi group's threats against Saudi Arabia.

Shaibani expressed a desire for Yemen to achieve stability and an end to the suffering of its people, highlighting Syria's focus on reconstruction and refugee repatriation after years of internal conflict. This clarification comes in response to rumors about Syria's potential troop deployment to support Saudi Arabia and Yemen against the Houthis.

A Syrian diplomatic source previously informed the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) that the agreement with Saudi Arabia is confined to training, expertise exchange, and military consultations, dismissing the claims of troop deployment. The source mentioned upcoming Saudi coordination visits to Syria in December, which may lead to a mutual defense agreement or Syria joining the Mecca Defense Alliance, depending on mutual interests.

The Mecca Defense Alliance currently includes T¼rkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan. Earlier, Syria and Saudi Arabia signed a military cooperation agreement during a visit by Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa to Riyadh, where he met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Additionally, an emergency meeting among T¼rkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan was held in Riyadh to address threats to the kingdom, resulting in the appointment of the alliance's first secretary-general.