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Saudi Arabia has moved hundreds of Syrian fighters into Yemen through its territory as part of an effort to reinforce forces fighting the Houthi movement, according to a report published on September 15 by Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar.
The report, citing sources in Sanaa, said Riyadh had spent more than a year preparing what it described as an attempt to reproduce elements of the Syrian war in Yemen. It said the plan included strengthening Salafi formations backed by Saudi Arabia and bringing Syrian fighters to Yemen.
According to the report, the alleged transfers were carried out through Saudi territory, with Syrian fighters subsequently deployed toward fronts including Marib, Jawf, Aden and Hadramawt.
Military sources cited by Al-Akhbar also alleged that Syrian personnel had participated in training Saudi-backed Salafi forces at locations in the Saudi border areas of Al-Wadiah and Sharurah in recent months.
Al-Akhbar said intelligence sources in Sanaa had obtained information indicating that Turkey also played a role in transferring Syrian fighters toward Yemen. The newspaper did not provide independently verifiable evidence for the alleged transfers, and the claims have not been publicly confirmed by Saudi or Turkish authorities.
The report linked the alleged mobilization to a broader Saudi effort to reorganize anti-Houthi forces before the latest fighting.
It said Riyadh had strengthened formations including the Homeland Shield Forces, Emergency Forces and Giants Brigades and appointed hard-line commanders to senior military positions.
The developments became particularly significant after Saudi-backed forces launched an operation earlier this month in response to a Houthi offensive. Al-Akhbar described the Saudi-backed operation as an attempt to reverse Houthi gains, but said the campaign instead exposed weaknesses among the forces supported by Riyadh.
The newspaper also reported that former Iraqi Interior Minister Baqir Jabr al-Zubaidi separately claimed an air bridge had been established to move Syrian fighters to Yemen.
Al-Zubaidi, according to the report, argued that the transfers followed the failure of previous Gulf military efforts against the Houthis in Yemen and questioned whether Turkey was aware of the operation. His claims were also not independently verified.
On the battlefield, Al-Akhbar reported continued fighting in Jawf and Lahij, saying Houthi forces had pushed Saudi-backed Emergency Forces from positions around Al-Labanat and Al-Kanays.
It also said Houthi forces had repelled attempts by Salafi formations to advance around Kahboub and had consolidated positions near the Bab el-Mandeb approaches.
The report said the fighting could expand beyond the western coast and eastern Yemen, potentially reaching other areas still controlled by Saudi-backed forces, including Marib. It attributed the Houthis’ battlefield performance to preparations made over roughly a year and claimed the movement had penetrated opposing formations and carried out preemptive strikes against weapons depots.
Al-Akhbar further claimed that Saudi Arabia had attempted to send a large shipment of weapons and ammunition to Emergency Forces during the western-coast fighting, using trucks associated with the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center.
The report said Houthi drones struck the convoy, preventing the shipment from reaching its destination. That claim could not be independently verified from the available reporting.
Al-Akhbar’s report is not suprising considering Saudi Arabia’s ever growing relations with Syria’s new Islamist-led government.
The kingdom, despite recent losses, it not yet showing any signs of backing down, and Riyadh may attempt to drag Syrians more into the conflict in Yemen. This, however, could carry a serious risk to Damascus, as the Houthis have the means to attack targets, including energy infrastructure, in Syria.
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