Damascus rejects troop deployment claims as Saudi-Houthi fighting intensifies

Last updated: November 09, 2026 | 18:23

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman greets Syrian President Ahmad Al Sharaa. During a recent visit to Riyadh by Al Sharaa, Saudi Arabia agreed to provide more than $400 million in loans for reconstruction. AFP file

Dubai: Syria on Monday denied sending troops to Yemen or planning any deployment there, even as an Associated Press report said Damascus was preparing to send about 600 special forces fighters to Saudi Arabia to help secure its border with Yemen amid escalating attacks by Iran-backed Houthis.

The conflicting accounts emerged as Saudi authorities issued a fresh aerial threat warning in Riyadh and Houthi militants reported that Saudi strikes in Yemen had killed 44 people, including 21 children.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shaibani insisted that Damascus had no plans to send soldiers into Yemen, despite reports that Syrian military personnel were already involved in…