Pak rubbishes report of training Syrian rebels

Islamabad – Pakistan has denied reports of training militants to fight against the Syrian government following the orders of Saudi Arabia.

Foreign Office Spokesman Aizaz Chaudhry rubbished the report that appeared in the Foreign Policy Magazine on Thursday, saying that it is baseless and devoid of truth, the Nation reports.

The Foreign Policy Magazine, Al-Alam, wrote in an article that Saudi Arabia is embarking on a major new effort with the help of Pakistan to train Syrian rebel forces.

According to the report, the article cited three sources with knowledge of the programme, who said Riyadh has enlisted the help of Pakistani instructors to train 5,000 to 10,000 militants from two brigades.

The report further mentioned that the main goal of the Saudi project is to unite the mainstream armed opposition in Syria under the banner of a unified army.