Aletho News

Damascus rejects Saudi request for Syrian fighters to counter Yemen: Report

The Cradle | September 18, 2026

Syria has rejected a formal Saudi request to organize and deploy Syrian fighters to Yemen, according to Syrian sources speaking with Turkiye Today.

Riyadh reportedly spent months seeking military personnel to meet its needs in Yemen, but Damascus declined the request, citing a focus on reorganizing its own military.

“This issue has been exhausted and is over. The Saudi request was made several months ago. Syria politely turned it down, saying it was focused on its own military organization process and did not intend to enter a conflict as a third party,” one of the sources said.

Saudi Arabia is engaged in a war against the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF), which have made advances in recent weeks, liberating territory along the western coast previously held by Saudi-backed mercenaries.

Yemeni Armed Forces have also maintained a blockade on Saudi vessels seeking to transit the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, helping to limit Saudi crude exports already restricted by Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

In recent days, Syria has experienced internal unrest due to protests against the government’s decision on Sunday to significantly increase gasoline and diesel prices.

The sources said Syria was not preventing individuals from traveling abroad to participate in the fighting in Yemen independently, but Damascus would not assume responsibility for such involvement.

Turkish sources also denied claims that Ankara had organized or transported Syrian fighters to Yemen, saying reports of Syrians traveling as part of teams operating alongside Turkish personnel were “completely untrue.”

“We have no involvement in this matter. Syria and Saudi Arabia are sovereign countries,” the Turkish sources said.

Saudi Arabia is reportedly continuing to seek military personnel and instructors from several countries, with Pakistan among those where recruitment efforts have gained traction.

Sources said any Turkish or Pakistani involvement under the Mecca Pact would focus on “defensive” missions and the protection of strategic infrastructure rather than ground operations against Yemen.

In August, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan announced the formation of the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement.

In an apparent bid to rally support from its new allies, Saudi Arabia made unsubstantiated claims on Tuesday that Yemeni forces attempted to attack the Saudi city of Mecca, home to Islam’s holiest site, the Kaaba.

Colonel Turki Al-Malki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led mercenary forces in Yemen, alleged that the YAF launched a drone toward Mecca on Tuesday evening and that the Saudi air defenses shot it down before it entered the city’s restricted airspace.

However, Yemen denied the Saudi claim, saying Riyadh was spreading “false accusations.”

“There is no threat from Yemen to the holy sites. Our operations target its oil facilities and military bases, and are far from the holy sites,” said YAF spokesperson, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, via Telegram.

September 18, 2026 - Posted by aletho | Wars for Israel | Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Yemen