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Thousands of Syrian troops are expected to deploy to Saudi Arabia and Yemen to help counter Houthi forces, with hundreds already on the ground, multiple Yemeni officials told AFP.
Around 3,000 Syrian troops will join the Saudi-led coalition’s operations against the Iran-backed Houthis in the initial phase, a source from Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, the country’s top governing body, told AFP.
“The Syrian side and the Saudi side agreed to send around 3,000 troops to fight against the Houthis,” the source said, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.
The arrangement was approved during Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s visit to Riyadh this week, where the two countries signed several cooperation agreements, including a defence deal.
Three Yemeni military sources and a defence official said hundreds of Syrian personnel had already been deployed on both sides of the Saudi-Yemeni border.
Some of those stationed on the Yemeni side are conducting drone operations against Houthi forces in the area, one military official told AFP.
A Yemeni Defence Ministry source said the first phase would involve 3,000 Syrian fighters, including officers and military experts, with some already deployed. The agreement envisages sending more than 10,000 fighters in total, with additional personnel arriving in subsequent phases.
Technical teams from the Syrian and Saudi defence ministries are currently in Riyadh finalising arrangements for the deployment, the source added.
Saudi Arabia, a key supporter of Syria’s post-Bashar al-Assad government, has been seeking international military assistance as Houthi attacks intensify. The group has recently seized large stretches of Yemen’s Red Sea coastline from the Saudi-backed government.
The Houthis have stepped up attacks on Saudi territory in recent weeks following the collapse of a truce over the summer. Their strikes have disrupted operations at Riyadh airport and threatened the kingdom’s ambitious economic diversification plans.
Syrian forces would be the first foreign troops deployed on the ground in Yemen since the latest escalation began over the summer.
Egypt has pledged military assistance if requested, while France has deployed troops to protect Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu oil terminal. Britain has also announced plans to deploy fighter aircraft to help defend the kingdom.
In August, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey signed a defence pact in Mecca stipulating that an attack on one member would be considered an attack on all three. Pakistan and Turkey, however, have not announced military action against the Houthis.
Last week, Syria’s top diplomat said Damascus was considering joining the defence alliance.
Yemen’s conflict dates back to 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa. A Saudi-led coalition intervened the following year in support of the internationally recognised government.
A truce reached in 2022 collapsed this summer, triggering renewed fighting. The Houthis subsequently announced a maritime blockade targeting Saudi Arabia and launched attacks on its ships, territory and oil facilities, while Saudi Arabia has carried out repeated airstrikes.
The United Nations estimates that more than 1,600 people have been killed and over 300,000 displaced since the latest fighting resumed.
