Thousands of Syrian forces are planned to be deployed in Saudi Arabia and Yemen, with some already on the ground. Yemeni officials announced that this action is aimed at helping the Yemeni government in its fight against the Houthis and strengthening the government based in Aden.
Increase of Syrian Forces at the Yemen Border
According to information obtained from three Yemeni military sources and one defense official, hundreds of Syrian forces have already been stationed on both sides of the Yemen border, and more are expected to be dispatched to these areas in the near future. A source from the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council stated that Syria will soon send up to 3,000 troops to Yemen to combat the Houthis.
This agreement was reached during the visit of Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara’a to Riyadh this week. During this meeting, the two countries reached various agreements, including the deployment of forces. Another source from the Yemeni Ministry of Defense also stated that in the first phase, about 3,000 troops will be deployed, and eventually, this number may increase to 10,000.
Saudi Efforts to Combat the Houthis
Saudi Arabia, which is considered one of the main supporters of the government after Bashar al-Assad in Syria, is actively seeking international assistance to combat the Houthi group. This group has recently increased its attacks on Saudi Arabia and has taken large areas of the Red Sea coast out of the control of the Riyadh-backed government.
A source from the Yemeni Ministry of Defense also stated that technical teams from the Syrian and Saudi Ministries of Defense are currently in Riyadh finalizing arrangements for the participation of Syrian forces in operations against the Houthis. In this context, a Syrian diplomatic source told the official news agency of the country that the agreement with Riyadh focuses on training military forces and enhancing their capabilities.
Syria is in dire need of financial assistance from wealthy Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, to cover the costs of rebuilding the devastation caused by the civil war. Last August, Riyadh, Islamabad, and Ankara signed a defense pact in Mecca, which considers an attack on any of these countries as an attack on the other three.
While Pakistan and Turkey have not announced any attacks on the Houthis, the Egyptian parliament approved President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's request for military defensive support for Saudi Arabia if requested. Additionally, French President Emmanuel Macron visited Riyadh last month and announced that France would send forces to protect a key Saudi oil terminal against Houthi attacks.
Yemen has witnessed new conflicts since this summer, following the collapse of a four-year ceasefire. The country has been affected by war since 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital, and a year later, a Saudi-led coalition entered the war to support the government.
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