Riyadh prepares for ground invasion in Syria

SHAFAQNA – Saudi Arabia will send special forces to Syria to fight the Islamic State (ISIL, or Daesh in Arabic) if the US-led coalition starts ground operation, Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir said Friday.

On February 5, reports emerged suggesting that Saudi Arabia was possibly preparing to send ground troops to Syria in coordination with Turkey, in order to take part in the anti-Daesh fight.

“If the inteational coalition against Daesh, which we are a part and have been since the very begiing decides that it will introduce ground troops to Syria in addition to the current air campaign we have said that the Kingdom of Saudis is prepared to contribute special forces to this effort,” Jubeir told CNN.

He added that Saudi Arabia was ready to send its special forces as part of US-led coalition.

Syria has been in a state of civil war since 2011, with the army loyal to President Bashar Assad fighting several opposition factions and militant organizations, including Islamic State (Daesh), which is baed in a number of countries, including Russia and the United States.

The US-led coalition of some 60 nations, including Saudi Arabia among others, has been launching airstrikes against Daesh in Syria and Iraq since 2014. However, the operation in Syria is conducted without the approval of the UN Security Council or Syrian authorities.

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