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UK Special Forces Operations: Saudi Arabia

Britain’s Special Forces have been deployed operationally in at least 19 overseas countries in the past decade, new analysis reveals, raising questions over the degree of transparency and democratic consent these shadowy units operate under. The countries where there have been active operations are: Algeria, Estonia, France, Iran/Oman (Strait of Hormuz), Iraq, Kenya, Libya, Mali, Mediterranean (Cyprus), Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, and Yemen.

This section outlines the extent of UKSF’s operations in Saudi Arabia, where UK Special Forces (UKSF) undertook training.

2015

July: See Syria section – Last week (End of July 2015) an additional 20 SAS soldiers flew into Saudi Arabia to prepare a training system in which the UK will instruct hundreds of members of the Syrian Moderate Opposition.

2016

January: British Ministry of Defence confirmed that its forces [not necessarily special forces] were in the “command and control centre” to provide training and advice for Saudi air strikes in Yemen. (Guardian)