RIYADH \u2014 Saudi Arabian special forces are involved in the military operation against Shiite Huthi rebels in neighboring Yemen, a Saudi adviser said Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Saudi-led coalition began air strikes on March 26 against the Iran-backed rebels, but says it has no plans for now to deploy ground forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, Saudi army and naval special forces have carried out specific operations, said the adviser, without revealing if they had actually set foot on the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Army special forces supplied weapons and communications equipment to militia loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi in the main southern city of Aden, the adviser told AFP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Naval special forces provided “coordination and guidance” to enable the loyalist fighters to launch a counter-attack on the rebels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Special forces “will continue their engagements” with the fighters loyal to Hadi, who has sought refuge in Saudi Arabia, said the adviser, who did not want to be identified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said army and navy special forces were also involved in operations against Huthi units that “invaded” Myun Island in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, through which much of the world’s maritime trade passes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Friday, the coalition announced that air strikes had destroyed “military equipment and missiles” on the island, which could have posed a threat to shipping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Special forces have isolated the island as the operation continues to destroy all remnants of Huthi presence,” which was supported by “foreign military” technicians, the Saudi adviser said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Iran has dismissed as “utter lies” claims that it supplied weapons to Yemen, but a Western diplomat told AFP “there have been a lot of shipments”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shiite Iran, which backs the Huthis, has accused Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia of sowing instability in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The kingdom’s ambassador to the United States, Adel al-Jubeir, had on Thursday hinted at a special forces role, saying that “we don’t have troops, formal Saudi troops in Aden.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The issue of ground troops is “on the table but the decisions will be made depending on the circumstances and the need,” he was quoted as saying by the Saudi-US Relations Information Service.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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