This is the first time that the Patriots of US Forces Korea have been moved to the Middle East, The Korea Herald reported.
The allies agreed last month on the "monthslong" partial deployment of the Patriot Advanced Capability-3, the first known case involving the relocation of USFK assets to the West Asia.
South Korea and the United States have recently agreed on a plan to temporarily deploy Patriot missile defense batteries from the South to the West Asia, the source said on Friday, amid speculation over a potential shift in the role of the US Forces Korea.
The missiles work alongside South Korea's own air defense assets in a multilayered missile defense system against North Korea's missile and nuclear threats, according to the sources.
MA/PR