Is Syria sending 600 troops to help Saudi Arabia fight Houthis? Damascus denies Yemen deployment

Dubai: Syria on Monday denied sending troops to Yemen or planning any deployment there, even as an Associated Press report said Damascus was preparing to send about 600 special forces fighters to Saudi Arabia to help secure its border with Yemen amid escalating attacks by Iran-backed Houthis.

The conflicting accounts emerged as Saudi authorities issued a fresh aerial threat warning in Riyadh and Houthi militants reported that Saudi strikes in Yemen had killed 44 people, including 21 children.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shaibani insisted that Damascus had no plans to send soldiers into Yemen, despite reports that Syrian military personnel were already involved in preparations for a possible Saudi-led operation.

“There is no deployment of troops to Yemen nor is there a plan for such deployment in the near future,” he told a joint press conference with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi in Damascus.

His statement followed reports from multiple Yemeni officials who told AFP that Syrian soldiers were already in Yemen, with potentially thousands more expected to be deployed.

According to AP, three officials familiar with the discussions said Syria was preparing to send fighters to Saudi Arabia for deployment along its southern border, with the possibility of supporting operations against the Houthis.

A Syrian official told AP that an initial contingent of approximately 600 special forces personnel could arrive in Saudi Arabia within a week.

The official said Riyadh had insisted that the fighters be Syrian nationals rather than foreign militants who had joined armed factions during Syria’s civil war.

Two Syrian officials and a regional official told AP that Syrian military advisers had already deployed to Saudi Arabia, although no Syrian fighters had been sent into Yemen.

One official said a Syrian military delegation led by Khaled Khattab, commander of the 82nd Division, had recently completed a two-week visit to Saudi Arabia.

Another said 36 Syrian military officials had visited a joint command and operations centre in Jeddah, where Saudi and Yemeni officers briefed them on the conflict’s front lines.

A regional official said a small number of Syrian advisers were helping train Yemeni forces inside Saudi Arabia.

Saudi authorities did not immediately respond to AP’s requests for comment.

Al Shaibani acknowledged that Syria and Saudi Arabia had signed a defence cooperation agreement this month but said it was intended to rebuild Syria’s military capabilities.

He insisted there was no agreement with Yemen’s internationally recognised government for a Syrian troop deployment.

“Any military plan abroad would be announced... and not done in secret,” he said.

The minister said Syria needed Saudi expertise to rebuild its military institutions and develop cooperation in defence manufacturing and training.

The distinction between sending Syrian troops to Saudi Arabia and deploying them directly into Yemen remains central to the differing accounts.

AP also reported that Syria was discussing joining the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan in August.

The pact commits its members to regard an attack on one as an attack on all, while expanding military cooperation.

Two Syrian officials told AP that Damascus had already decided to join the agreement, although no announcement had been made. A regional official said discussions were continuing.

Saudi Arabia has become an important supporter of Syria’s reconstruction following the overthrow of Bashar Al Assad in December 2024.

During a recent visit to Riyadh by Syrian President Ahmad Al Sharaa, Saudi Arabia agreed to provide more than $400 million in loans for reconstruction, according to AP.

Meanwhile, Saudi authorities briefly warned residents of Riyadh about a hostile aerial threat on Monday, a day after an attempted Houthi attack damaged a skyscraper belonging to Saudi Aramco.

Residents were urged to remain indoors and stay away from windows and doors. The warning was lifted minutes later.

The Houthis did not announce a fresh attack on Riyadh on Monday but reported a Saudi strike on Hodeida airport in Yemen.

On Sunday, the group claimed attacks on Riyadh’s financial district. Saudi authorities said an Aramco building suffered minor damage from falling shrapnel following an attempted attack.

Houthi militants said Saudi strikes on the Alshariyah area of Bani Hushaysh, east of Sanaa, had killed 44 people, including 21 children and 10 women.