World

Syria Prepares to Deploy 600 Special Forces to Saudi Border Amid Yemen Conflict

By AP

Syria is preparing to send about 600 special‑forces fighters to Saudi Arabia to operate along its border and potentially assist in the fight against Iranian‑backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, three officials with knowledge of the plans told the Associated Press. Syrian military advisers are already in Saudi Arabia, but no fighters have yet been dispatched to Yemen, according to a regional official and two Syrian officials who spoke anonymously because they were not authorised to comment publicly. Saudi officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The fighting in Yemen intensified this summer between the Houthi rebels and Saudi‑backed government forces. The Houthis have also carried out direct attacks on Saudi Arabia, marking a new front in the regional conflict that began in February when the United States and Israel attacked Iran.

Syria, which has a pool of battle‑hardened fighters after a long civil war, has largely stayed on the sidelines. Saudi Arabia has U.S.‑supplied fighter jets and missile defences but has struggled to defeat the Houthis in previous rounds of conflict. While other Saudi allies have been reluctant to commit ground forces, the Syrian government remains beholden to Saudi Arabia, which provided funds to Syrian rebels during the civil war and has promised financial assistance for Syria’s post‑war reconstruction.

The Syrian official said an initial force of about 600 special‑forces fighters is expected to deploy to Saudi Arabia in the coming week. The official added that a Syrian delegation led by Khaled Khattab, commander of the 82nd Division, had recently made a two‑week visit to Saudi Arabia. A second Syrian official said 36 Syrian military officials visited a command and operations room in Jeddah staffed by Saudi and Yemeni officials and received briefings on the different front lines and areas of operation.

An unnamed diplomatic official in Syria dismissed reports that Syrian forces were headed to Yemen. The state‑run news agency SANA reported on Saturday (November 7, 2026) that the agreement with Saudi Arabia focuses on training its military forces and building its capabilities. Syrian officials have said publicly that the country is discussing the possibility of joining a joint defence agreement recently signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan. The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, signed in August, commits the three countries to regard an attack against one as an attack on all three and to deepen military cooperation in other ways.

The two Syrian officials said that a decision had already been made – but not publicly announced – for Syria to join the Mecca pact, while the regional official said talks were still ongoing. One concern is that Syria might ask the other countries for their support against Israel, the regional official said. Following the ouster of Syria’s former President Bashar Assad in December 2024, Israeli forces seized control of a UN‑patrolled buffer zone in southern Syria and have occupied it since. Syrian President Ahmad al‑Sharaa says his government does not seek a conflict with Israel and has called for Israeli forces to withdraw.

Syria and Saudi Arabia announced last week that they had signed a military cooperation agreement, without providing details. During a visit to Riyadh by Mr. al‑Sharaa, the Saudi government agreed to lend Syria more than $400 million for post‑war reconstruction of homes and basic infrastructure.

Syria has turned down proposals by U.S. President Donald Trump for its forces to intervene against the Iran‑backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. Mr. al‑Sharaa has said his focus is on rebuilding Syria after its lengthy civil war and that he wants to avoid getting embroiled in new conflicts. But Saudi Arabia has been key to its reintegration into the Arab world, which had largely shunned Syria under Assad’s rule. Syrian involvement in the fighting against the Houthis in Yemen could expose it to attacks by militias in neighbouring Iraq that are allied with the Houthis.