British Royal Marines are on their way to Syrian border.
The British newspaper “Daily Star Sunday” reports that More than 350 Royal Marines from 42 Commando are on their way to Syrian border.
The British troops will go to Jordan and wait to get into Syria after David Cameron slammed the Syrian regime for using chemical weapons.
Coalition Special Forces from the US, Poland and the UK are also working with Jordanian special forces, who are trained by the SAS, with the Special Boat Service heading a hostage rescue exercise.
The Marines, plus the command and control group from the UK’s amphibious task group, will deploy next week and join an 8,000-strong international force on Friday.
The Portsmouth-based Marines’ headquarters includes naval and Army staff and is headed by a brigadier and a two-star general who usually deploy to co-ordinate and command amphibious landings.
Called Exercise Eager Lion, the 12-day manoeuvres in the Jordanian desert include field firing and rehearsing scenarios including air defence and humanitarian assistance, according to General Awni al Adwan from the Jordanian Army.
Called Exercise Eager Lion, the 12-day manoeuvres in the Jordanian desert include field firing and rehearsing scenarios including air defence and humanitarian assistance, according to General Awni al Adwan from the Jordanian Army.
More than 5,000 US Marines are in Jordan from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Force, landing by assault ships.
Troops from Britain, Bahrain, Canada, the Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Iraq, Italy, Lebanon, Pakistan, Poland, Qatar, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Yemen will take part in the war games.
Yesterday it emerged that 300 US Marines and a Patriot anti-aircraft missile system have been deployed to northern Jordan to pave the way for missions to arm the rebels.
Three US Navy warships have docked in Aqaba and have landed Patriot anti-missiles systems and rocket launchers, although Jordanian commanders will leave when the exercise concludes.
The British force, mainly drawn from Lima Company, 42 Commando, has deployed with full nuclear biological warfare equipment in case of any chemical attack on Jordan.
In August, the helicopter carrier HMS Illustrious will sail on a major deployment, codenamed Exercise Cougar 13, with 650 Marines embarked for more war games in Sardinia and Turkey before landing in Jordan.
The warship will dock off Aqaba with her escorting frigates and destroyers for planned exchange training with Jordanian forces before sailing further.
A senior Royal Marine source said: “Everyone’s prepared for operations in Syria but no one has pressed the button. At this stage everything we have planned is in respect of training but that could change.”
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “The exercise tests the ability of countries to deploy forces, but this is general training, not intended for any particular future scenario.
“This is an annual event and not in connection with, or in response to, events in the region.”