Syrian troops are preparing to deploy to Saudi Arabia and Yemen, and some have already arrived, according to several Yemeni officials who spoke to AFP. Syria troops to deploy under the plan would join the fight against the Houthis, as Riyadh rallies international help to bolster the government in Aden.
The arrangement was greenlit during Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s visit to Riyadh this week, during which the two countries signed cooperation agreements, including a defence deal. Syria is also considering joining the mutual defence pact between Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan.
Hundreds of Syrian troops have already been deployed to both sides of the Saudi-Yemeni border, according to three separate Yemeni military sources and a defence official, with more to come.
Syria troops to deploy: how many are involved
A source from the Presidential Leadership Council, Yemen’s top governing body, told AFP that Syria would send as many as 3,000 troops to help fend off the Houthis.
A Yemeni defence ministry source gave the same first-phase figure of about 3,000 fighters, including officers and specialists, with some already in the field. That source said the agreement provides for more than 10,000 personnel in total, with the rest to be sent in later stages.
The numbers, locations and combat roles remain attributed to the Yemeni sources. Neither Damascus nor Riyadh has publicly confirmed the deployment plan in the reporting available so far.
Damascus denies sending troops
Later on Saturday, Syria’s official SANA news agency cited a diplomatic source who insisted Damascus had not sent troops to Yemen “at this time”. The source said claims that Syria was currently sending troops to Yemen were unfounded.
Damascus said its priorities for the coming period were consolidating domestic security, reconstruction and economic recovery. The diplomatic source said the agreement with Riyadh focused on training Syrian military forces and building their capabilities, and that coordination visits by the Saudi side would begin in December.
A senior Syrian diplomat had already told Reuters a day earlier that any suggestion of military deployments at this stage was premature, and that the defence cooperation deal signed on Wednesday covered advisory support, training and exchange of expertise. Reuters reported on November 6 that Syria was providing military advice, training and small military teams to Saudi Arabia.
Why the deployment is being discussed now
Yemen slipped back into war between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed government in July after years of relative calm, opening a new front in the conflict in the Middle East.
Houthi media said on Saturday that Saudi strikes killed 27 people, most of them women and children, in Yemen’s Sanaa province, as deaths mount in the country’s revived civil war. The group said operations to recover victims from the rubble were ongoing, and that aircraft had targeted paramedics with two strikes.
The Saudi-led coalition said in a statement on Saturday that it had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi missile launched towards Riyadh province. The coalition has intercepted Houthi drones and missiles aimed at Saudi cities in recent weeks, and a Houthi missile aimed at the Riyadh region was stopped days ago. On Friday, an attack on a market in Taiz province killed 30 people. The Houthis said Saudi airstrikes were to blame, while Yemen’s government forces accused the Iran-backed group of having fired a ballistic missile at the site.
What it means for Pakistan
The story matters for Pakistan because Syria is considering joining the same mutual defence pact that links Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan. Feature Pakistan reported in October that Syria was in talks over membership of the Makkah pact, and the alliance’s secretary general visited Riyadh this month as the arrangement took shape. The Houthis are backed by Iran, whose nuclear talks with the West remain stalled over Tehran’s demands.
If Damascus joins, the pact would gain a fourth member with recent battlefield experience. For now, the conflicting accounts leave the scale of Syria’s role unclear: Yemeni officials describe a combat deployment, while Damascus describes training and advice only.
Frequently asked questions
How many Syrian troops are to deploy?
Yemeni officials told AFP the first phase would involve about 3,000 troops, including officers and specialists, with hundreds already on the ground. A Yemeni defence ministry source said the total deployment could exceed 10,000 in later stages.
Has Syria confirmed the deployment?
No. Syria’s official SANA news agency quoted a diplomatic source who said Damascus had not sent troops to Yemen “at this time”, and that the agreements with Riyadh covered training, expertise exchange and military advice.
What is the Makkah defence pact?
It is the mutual defence arrangement between Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan, which Syria is considering joining. Feature Pakistan reported on the pact talks in October, and the alliance’s secretary general visited Riyadh in November.
Why is Yemen at war again?
Yemen slipped back into war between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed government in July 2026 after years of relative calm. Saudi strikes and Houthi missile attacks have both continued since then.
