“Unfounded.” A Syrian diplomatic source denies sending forces to Yemen

Today, Saturday (November 7th), a Syrian diplomatic source denied the validity of the reports that spoke of sending Syrian military forces to Yemen to support government forces supported by the Saudi-led coalition against the Houthi group.

The official Syrian news agency quoted the diplomatic source as confirming that “talk about sending Syrian military forces to Yemen at the present time is baseless,” in a direct response to what was reported by Agence France-Presse, quoting Yemeni government sources, regarding Damascus beginning to deploy thousands of soldiers and military personnel in both Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

The source continued to the Syrian News Agency: Syria's priorities in the next stage focus on consolidating internal security, reconstruction, and achieving economic recovery.

This official denial comes at a time when Syrian military sources and a high-ranking American official revealed that Damascus is actually providing military support to the Kingdom, limited to training programs and providing tactical advice, to raise the efficiency of Saudi forces and support them in repelling the escalating Houthi attacks.

The sources indicated that dozens of Syrian soldiers arrived in Saudi territory during the past weeks to participate in training Saudi and Yemeni military units inside the Kingdom’s bases and to benefit from their previous combat experiences.

A senior Saudi official had explained that the cooperation programs and exchange of field experiences mainly aim to contribute to restructuring the forces and benefiting from the Syrian experience in confronting armed groups, pointing to the continuation of joint training in the fields of defense and security. These moves coincide with American warnings urging Damascus to move cautiously to avoid direct involvement in a broader regional conflict.

Defense cooperation and the “Mecca Agreement” process

This security movement came in the wake of the signing of a defense cooperation agreement between Syria and Saudi Arabia during the visit made by Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa to Riyadh, and his second meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in less than a month.

According to Syrian diplomats, the signed agreement officially frames aspects of joint advisory and training support, while the Syrian state’s priority at the current stage remains focused on protecting its internal security, controlling its borders, and reconstruction.

In the same regional context, Damascus is considering joining the defense “Mecca Agreement” that brings together Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey, after Ankara recently ratified it. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani stressed that Gulf security represents an integral part of Syria's regional security, stressing joint coordination to confront cross-border militias.