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Ulviyya Poladova

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Syria denied reports that it was considering joining the war in Yemen, while expressing firm support for Saudi Arabia amid claims that Damascus could send troops to assist Saudi-backed Yemeni forces in fighting the Houthis.

"Syria’s position is clear. We stand firmly alongside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in confronting threats targeting its security and stability," the Syrian Information Ministry’s Foreign Media Directorate said.

"At the same time, Syria’s policy in the region is based on stability, peace and cooperation, not on opening new fronts," the statement added.

Earlier, Axios reported, citing sources, that Saudi Arabia and Syria were discussing the possible deployment of between 10,000 and 20,000 Syrian troops to Yemen to participate in military operations against the Houthi movement Ansar Allah.

It also noted that the involvement of Syrian forces in the Yemen conflict could risk giving the confrontation a sectarian dimension and further escalating the fighting.

The armed conflict between the Houthis and Yemeni government forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, has continued since August 2014. In early August, the Ansar Allah movement launched an offensive in southwestern Yemen, taking control of the port of Mocha and gaining access to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

On October 4, the Yemeni army announced the launch of a large-scale military operation against the rebels and said it had regained control of the Zubab area.

Saudi Arabia leads the Arab coalition supporting Yemen's government forces and has carried out airstrikes against Houthi positions. Yemen is strategically important to Riyadh because millions of barrels of Saudi oil are transported through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Image: Ahmad Fallaha / EPA