Yemen19 September, 20263 min read
Damascus Rejects Saudi Request To Send Syrian Fighters To Yemen As Houthis Advance Toward Bab Al-Mandeb
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Syria formally rejected organizing and deploying Syrian fighters to Yemen. Damascus will not enter Yemen but allows individual Syrians to travel.
5 outlets told this the same way.
Damascus rejects Saudi bid
Damascus rejected a Saudi request to organize and send a force of Syrian fighters to Yemen to participate in fighting against the Houthi group, according to Turkey Today citing informed Syrian sources. A Turkey Today-cited source said the file “is over,” explaining that Damascus told Riyadh it does not intend to enter the Yemeni conflict, while not prohibiting individual Syrians from traveling on their own and taking part in fighting. Turkey Today also reported that Turkish sources denied any Turkish role in moving or organizing Syrian fighters to fight in Yemen, and confirmed “Syria and Saudi Arabia are two sovereign states.”
“Syria and Saudi Arabia are two sovereign states.”
The Houthis’ advance toward Bab al-Mandeb coincided with large-scale fighting resuming since July after years of relative calm following a 2022 ceasefire, as the Houthis launched a wide assault along Yemen’s western coast. The Houthis seized the city of al-Mukha and sites in the provinces of Taiz and Hudaydah, and reached areas near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, with reports later claiming control of islands including Mun and Hayt (Meon).
HTS declines, Riyadh recruits
Syria’s ruling Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) reportedly declined a formal request from Saudi Arabia to organize and deploy militants to Yemen to confront Yemeni Armed Forces, according to PressTV citing a report from Türkiye Today.
One source quoted in the Türkiye Today report said, “The Saudi proposal was submitted several months ago. Damascus respectfully declined,” and added that Damascus’s attention was directed toward restructuring its own armed forces.
Protests against HTS’s decision on Sunday to significantly increase gasoline and diesel prices followed the HTS decision, PressTV said, linking the Yemen recruitment effort to domestic unrest in Syria.
Saudi Arabia’s monthslong efforts to recruit military personnel from abroad for Yemen did not result in an organized deployment of Syrian forces, and the Syrian refusal was described as “politely” turning down a request to organize and deploy a Syrian force against the Houthis, Türkiye Today said.
Türkiye Today further stated that Saudi Arabia was continuing to explore options for recruiting military personnel and instructors from different countries, naming Pakistan among the countries where recruitment had gained traction.
Bab al-Mandeb stakes rise
As fighting intensified in Yemen’s coastal governorates and around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Yemeni outlets announced that the Armed Forces seized strategic heights in Lahij overlooking the Bab al-Mandab Strait and advanced against Saudi-backed mercenary forces. Yemeni Armed Forces also announced their control over Perim Island, also known as Mayyun Island in Arabic, and Yemeni naval units enforced a blockade targeting Saudi vessels attempting passage through Bab al-Mandeb, PressTV said. Euronews reported that Riyadh announced in September that civilians were injured and material damage occurred as a result of missile and drone strikes targeting areas including Khamis Mushait, Abha, and Taif, while Saudi authorities later said they intercepted a drone near Mecca.
Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan signed the “Mecca Charter” in August, and Euronews quoted Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif saying an attack on Saudi Arabia without justification or the extension of the Yemen war into the Kingdom could trigger the agreement. Türkiye Today described the expected role under the Mecca pact as defensive, saying participating countries were expected to focus on “defensive missions rather than taking direct ground action against the Houthis in Yemen,” with attention on protecting energy infrastructure and strategic facilities.