Syria rejects Saudi request to send fighters to Yemen
Damascus says it will not become a third-party combatant as Saudi Arabia explores recruiting foreign military personnel for Yemen.
Highlights:
- Turkish and regional sources deny any organised transfer of Syrian fighters
- Saudi Arabia continues exploring recruitment of military personnel from several countries
- Fighting has intensified around Yemen's western coast and Bab el-Mandeb
Syria has rejected a formal request from Saudi Arabia to organise and deploy Syrian fighters to Yemen, according to sources familiar with the matter cited by Turkish outlet Türkiye Today.
The sources today (19 September) said that Riyadh had spent months exploring the recruitment of military personnel from abroad to meet its military requirements in Yemen, but Damascus declined the request.
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"This issue has been exhausted and is over. The Saudi request was made several months ago. Syria politely turned it down, saying it was focused on its own military organisation process and did not intend to enter a conflict as a third party," one Syrian source told Türkiye Today.
The source said the Syrian government was not preventing individuals from travelling abroad to take part in the conflict, but Damascus would not accept responsibility for any individual involvement.
Turkish sources also rejected claims that Türkiye had helped transport or organise Syrian fighters for deployment to Yemen.
"We have no involvement in this matter. Syria and Saudi Arabia are sovereign countries," the sources said.
They added that Türkiye would determine its position under the Mecca pact once the agreement establishes a legal basis within the participating countries.
Regional sources familiar with developments in Yemen also denied reports of an organised deployment of Syrian fighters, saying there was no Turkish-run programme to transfer Syrians to Yemen.
Claims that Syrian fighters had travelled to Yemen as part of teams operating alongside Turkish personnel were also described as "completely untrue", according to the regional sources.
Saudi Arabia continues search for foreign personnel
Saudi Arabia is continuing to explore the recruitment of military personnel and instructors from several countries as it seeks to address its military requirements in Yemen, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The recruitment effort comes amid intensified fighting in Yemen, with Houthi forces backed by Iran taking control of key positions along the Red Sea coast and near the entrance to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the sources said.
Pakistan is among the countries where the Saudi recruitment effort has gained traction, according to the sources.
Unconfirmed reports have also suggested that Saudi security authorities are seeking personnel in North African countries, including Egypt and Libya.
The developments have renewed attention on the Mecca pact, under which Türkiye, Pakistan and other participating countries are expected to coordinate on security and defence issues.
Sources familiar with the discussions said active defence cooperation could be considered once the pact is incorporated into the domestic legal frameworks of the participating countries.
According to Türkiye Today, sources said Türkiye and Pakistan were expected to focus on defensive missions rather than direct ground operations against the Houthis in Yemen.
The focus would instead be on protecting energy infrastructure, strategic facilities and major population and administrative centres, the sources said.
Fighting intensifies across Yemen
Fighting has intensified along Yemen's western coast over the past week, with the Houthis taking control of strategic districts in Hodeidah and Taiz provinces, including Mokha, as well as Red Sea islands such as Mayyun near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Government forces, meanwhile, have advanced in al-Jawf province towards its capital, al-Hazm, while clashes continue in Marib, al-Dhale and al-Bayda.
The escalation, which began in July, is the broadest since the relative calm that followed the April 2022 truce. Fighting has intensified further this month, particularly along the western coast and around the Bab el-Mandeb.
Yemen has been embroiled in conflict since the Houthis seized Sanaa and several provinces in 2014. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 in support of the internationally recognised government.
