US commandos help Saudis against Yemen rebels
A team of elite US Green Beret commandos were deployed to the Saudi border of Yemen in 2017 to help find and destroy Huthi rebel missile caches, the New York Times reported on 3 May.
Since Yemen's brutal conflict erupted three years ago, Huthi rebels have fired multiple ballistic missiles toward Riyadh and other Saudi cities.
According to the Times, which cited US officials and European diplomats, the Army special operations soldiers arrived in December to help Saudi counterparts locate launch sites and destroy the Huthis' missile supplies.
The unannounced move shows a deepening US involvement in Yemen's war that has seen the country spiral toward famine and claimed almost 10,000 lives.
Citing operational security, the Pentagon said it could not comment on the makeup of forward-deployed forces.
The Pentagon's ‘limited non-combat support, such as intelligence sharing, focuses on assisting our partners in securing their borders from cross-border attacks from the Huthis,’ military spokesman Major Adrian Rankine-Galloway said.
The Times said there was no indication the commandos had crossed into Yemen.
Saudi Arabia has since March 2015 led a US-backed coalition of Arab states fighting to roll back the Huthis in Yemen and restore its neighbour’s internationally recognized government to power.
Officials told the Times the US troops are training Saudi forces to secure the border.
The Saudi troops are also working closely with US intelligence experts in the southern Saudi city of Najran, the Times said.
The Huthis, who hail from northern Yemen, control Sanaa and much of the country's north, which borders Saudi Arabia, and the key Hodeida port on the Red Sea coast.
US lawmakers have sounded growing alarm about America's support for the Saudis in Yemen, while President Donald Trump has bolstered ties with Riyadh and fostered a close relationship with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Separately from Yemen's civil war, the Pentagon is bombing Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and has sent in ground troops to conduct raids against the jihadists.
The campaign against AQAP, which has taken advantage of the war to expand its presence in several areas to the south and east, has intensified under Trump.
More from Defence Notes
-
US lawmakers warn that “more military spending is absolutely necessary” to ensure Pentagon’s readiness
The US Congress has raised concerns about how inflation rates and cuts in main acquisition programmes could affect the US military.
-
Can the US overcome Russian and Chinese nuclear capabilities?
Washington’s ageing inventory and the pace Moscow and Beijing have been modernising their capabilities put in check the US Nuclear deterrence.
-
US FY2024 funding package passes as China closes military capability gap
The Pentagon has been operating under temporary funding since October 2023, which has impacted its main acquisition and development programmes, increasing the capability gap between the US and China.
-
NATO outlines future challenges as Ukrainian funding from US stalls
In 2023, defence spending increased by an unprecedented 11% across European NATO countries and Canada. Since 2014, the group has spent an additional US$600 billion on defence.
-
US Pentagon to reduce investments in main acquisition programmes over FY2025
The DoD requested nearly US$850 billion to fund operations over the next fiscal year. Despite the amount being 1% higher than the FY2024 budget request, it has not covered the 3% inflation rate, which could impact the DoD’s main programmes in the medium and long term.
-
Haiti crisis forces Caribbean militaries to prepare for intervention
As gangs gain control of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s Caribbean neighbours have been preparing to intervene in the failed state, with the US and other partners waiting in the wings with equipment and financial support.