Syria rejected a Saudi request to organise and deploy Syrian fighters to Yemen as Riyadh sought additional military personnel amid an escalating conflict with the Houthis, according to a report citing Syrian sources.
Türkiye Today reported that Saudi Arabia approached Damascus several months ago about forming a Syrian force that could be sent to Yemen to fight the Iran-aligned Houthi movement.
The Syrian government declined the request, telling Riyadh that its priority was rebuilding and reorganising its own armed forces and that it did not want to become a third party to the Yemen conflict, according to the report.
“This issue has been exhausted and is over,” Türkiye Today quoted one Syrian source as saying.
The source said Damascus did not intend to participate officially in the fighting but would not necessarily prevent individual Syrians from travelling abroad and joining the conflict on their own. The Syrian government would not accept responsibility for such individuals, the source added.
Neither Saudi Arabia nor Syria has publicly confirmed the reported request.
The report comes amid speculation that Riyadh has been looking abroad for military personnel and instructors as fighting in Yemen intensifies.
Türkiye Today said Saudi officials had explored recruitment from several countries, including Pakistan, while unconfirmed reports have also mentioned Egypt and Libya.
Turkish sources cited by the publication denied that Ankara was involved in organising or transporting Syrian fighters to Yemen. Regional sources similarly denied reports that Syrians had been deployed alongside Turkish personnel.
Houthis tighten grip on Bab al-Mandab
The reports have emerged as the Houthis make their biggest territorial gains in years along Yemen’s Red Sea coast.
The group captured the strategic port city of Mokha earlier this month before taking Mayyun, also known as Perim Island, which lies directly inside the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Houthi forces subsequently seized Greater and Lesser Hanish islands, further strengthening their position around one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints.
The Bab al-Mandab connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and forms a critical shipping route between Asia and Europe through the Suez Canal.
The renewed fighting follows years of relative calm after a UN-brokered truce took effect in 2022. Large-scale clashes resumed in July before accelerating sharply in September.
Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces have attempted to halt the Houthi offensive through counterattacks and air strikes, while fighting has also continued in Taiz, Marib and other parts of the country.
The Houthis have simultaneously stepped up missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia, hitting military and energy infrastructure and prompting repeated air-raid alerts inside the kingdom.
The latest escalation has increased pressure on Riyadh to reinforce its defences and secure the Red Sea coastline.
Mecca defence pact under scrutiny
The fighting has also placed renewed attention on the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan on August 7.
The agreement states that an armed attack against one of the three countries would be considered an attack against all and provides a framework for expanded defence cooperation.
Officials from the three governments have described the pact as defensive and said it is not directed against any particular country.
Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia agreed later in August to establish institutional mechanisms for implementing the agreement, including a permanent secretariat.
However, there has been no announcement that Turkish or Pakistani forces will participate directly in ground operations against the Houthis in Yemen.
Türkiye Today cited sources as saying any cooperation was more likely to focus on defensive missions, including protecting strategic infrastructure, energy facilities and population centres.
Yemen’s conflict began after the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa in 2014 and expanded across much of northern and western Yemen.
Saudi Arabia intervened at the head of a military coalition in 2015 in support of Yemen’s internationally recognised government.
The 2022 truce sharply reduced cross-border attacks and major military operations, but it failed to produce a comprehensive political settlement. The renewed fighting in 2026 has now pushed the conflict back toward the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab, raising fresh concerns over regional security and international shipping.
