Saudi Arabia’s Yemen War Draws In Syrian, Pakistani and Other Foreign Forces
Saudi Arabia is in talks to bring thousands of Syrian troops into Yemen while Pakistan confirms its soldiers are already deployed in the kingdom under the Mecca Alliance, even as Houthis hit Saudi airports and advance near Taiz.
The war in Yemen is pulling more foreign militaries under Saudi Arabia’s umbrella as fighting with the Houthi movement grinds on.
Saudi Arabia and Syria are discussing deploying Syrian troops to Yemen to support the Saudi‑backed offensive against the Houthis, Axios reported. According to that reporting, Syrian President Ahmed al‑Sharaa is considering the request, and U.S. officials say approval is viewed as highly likely. The potential deployment under discussion ranges from 10,000 to 20,000 troops and could include forces from Syria’s 90th and 84th Divisions. The 84th Division has previously included foreign Islamist fighters in Syria’s conflict.
Sending such units to Yemen would move experienced combat formations, and the networks around them, into a war already crowded with armed factions and fragile local alliances. That prospect is one reason the talks are being closely watched in Western capitals.
Pakistan’s army has already confirmed a role in Saudi Arabia’s plans. Military spokesman Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry told CNN that Pakistani forces are deployed in Saudi Arabia as part of what is known as the Mecca Alliance, engaged in “multiple capabilities and domains.” Reporting also says Türkiye and Pakistan agreed to send military forces to Saudi Arabia under that alliance. U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly supported the Turkish and Pakistani deployments, saying he thinks they want to help Saudi Arabia.
These moves come as Saudi territory faces renewed attacks linked to the Yemen war. Saudi Arabia said strikes on airports in Abha and Riyadh on 6–7 October killed three people and injured 36. Two people were killed and 28 wounded at Abha International Airport, while one person was killed and eight wounded at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, according to the Saudi General Civil Aviation Authority. The Houthi movement, also known as Ansar Allah, has long used drones and missiles against Saudi infrastructure.
On the Yemeni front lines, Houthi forces are pressing their advantage in places. Reporting from Taiz province says Ansar Allah fighters captured positions held by the Saudi‑backed Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) in Taiz, including the house of PLC president Rashad al‑Alimi. Separate footage from Jabal Habashi, northwest of Taiz, shows close‑quarters fighting between PLC units and Houthi fighters.
For people in Yemen, more foreign troops mean more armed actors with their own rules of engagement and command chains. Each additional contingent increases the risk of miscalculation, whether through airstrikes gone wrong, new cross‑border fire or clashes with local groups.
Regionally, the Mecca Alliance is being framed by Riyadh as a way to bolster the defence of Saudi territory and holy sites against Iran‑aligned forces such as the Houthis. For Iran and its partners, deployments by Syria, Pakistan or Türkiye could look like an expanded coalition to counter.
Signals to watch now include whether Damascus formally announces any troop deployment to Yemen and under what terms, whether Pakistan offers more detail on the size and mission of its forces in Saudi Arabia, and whether Houthi attacks on Saudi airports and infrastructure change in tempo as these foreign deployments evolve.
Sources
- OSINT