Senior Syrian and Yemeni sources denied a report that hundreds of Syrian soldiers were deploying to border areas between Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
A story published by Agence France-Presse quoted Yemeni officials as stating Syrian soldiers were in Yemen to help fight the Houthis. But sources in both Syria and Yemen told MBN that no Syrian troops had been sent to the area.
A Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) article also later quoted a Syrian diplomatic source denying Syrian troops were in the Saudi-Yemeni border region.
The Syrian government is focused on consolidating domestic security, rebuilding the country and reviving the economy after years of civil war, the source said, according to the SANA report.
AFP quoted Yemeni officials as saying Syria planned to deploy thousands of troops to support efforts to confront the Houthis, who are designated as a terrorist organization by the United States.
A source at Syria’s Defense Ministry and another source at the country’s Interior Ministry told MBN that there was no effort to deploy soldiers or security personnel to the region.
A senior source at Yemen’s Ministry of Defense told MBN that reports Syrian soldiers were in Yemen was unfounded.
Since the resumption of the war in Yemen in July, the Houthis have seized territory in several areas that had previously been under the control of the Yemeni government. Government troops are attempting to retake the lost territory.
Saudi Arabia’s forces have joined with troops from Yemen’s internationally recognized government to fight the Houthis for control of the country. The Houthis have fired missiles at airports and oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, while the kingdom has carried out airstrikes in support of its allies in Yemen.
Syria’s and Saudi Arabia’s defense ministries signed a cooperation agreement this week during Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s visit to Riyadh, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The report in SANA said military agreements with Riyadh are limited to training and military consultations.
Saudi Arabia has provided financial assistance to Damascus and played a key role in restoring Syria’s ties with world powers following the 2024 ouster of Bashar al-Assad, the former president who fled to Russia as rebel forces led by al
