Barran Press
Arab media outlets reported on Saturday, September 14th, that the Houthis, a group designated as a terrorist organization by several countries, have begun transporting fighters to Syria via Jordan in preparation for attacks against Israel.
According to security sources speaking to Russian news agencies Novosti and Sputnik, the Houthis have deployed forces in Syrian territory after entering through Jordan in small groups. These forces are reportedly being trained to operate armored vehicles and prepare for artillery and drone operations.
Earlier this month, the pro-opposition website "Ain al-Furat" reported that four Houthi leaders arrived in the Syrian city of Albukamal in Deir ez-Zor province on August 2nd, entering from Iraq via a railway crossing. They were accompanied by military vehicles belonging to the Iraqi "Sayyid al-Shuhada" faction, which manages the crossing.
The website stated that the four Houthi leaders, specializing in surface-to-surface missiles and drones, reached a "Revolutionary Guards" base near the Al-A'laf area on the outskirts of Albukamal. They held a meeting with the general commander of Iranian factions in the Albukamal sector, Hajj Askar, and his deputy, Hajj Sajjad, in the presence of Iranian and Lebanese leaders. The meeting, which lasted about an hour, was held under tight security measures imposed by Iranian militias in the surrounding area, including the deployment of temporary checkpoints and patrols.
After the meeting, the four Houthi leaders traveled to Damascus accompanied by "Sayyid al-Shuhada" elements, wearing Syrian regime forces uniforms to avoid attention. Their four-wheel drive vehicles displayed Syrian army flags as they took the Albukamal-Mayadin road, then the Mayadin-Deir ez-Zor road, before heading towards the Deir ez-Zor-Palmyra road, eventually reaching Damascus.
On September 12th, the Israeli website i24NEWS published a leaked conversation with a Syrian official who mentioned that "in recent days, Houthi militants arrived from Iraq to southern Syria to open a new front for launching drone attacks against Israel. They will be stationed on the Golan Heights near the Israeli border."
The Israeli website linked the Houthi arrival to the smuggling of weapons from Syria to Jordan and then to Israel, stating that "this is an Iranian operation that the Israeli army is well aware of." According to the Syrian official, "the situation is exactly the same as in the Gaza Strip. Under the Jordanian border, there are tunnels used by Iranians to smuggle weapons that reach the West Bank and elements in Jordan who are working to undermine the rule of the Hashemite royal family."
The official added that Syrian authorities informed Israeli parties about these tunnels, but no officials paid attention to the issue. He said that there are a number of Syrian army guards on the border between the Sweida Governorate and Jordan, but these are for cover only. The actual control of these military points is in the hands of the Iranians through Hezbollah.
Regarding the smuggling method, the official explained, "They come with 4x4 vehicles loaded with weapons and stay in these areas for a specific period before returning empty." He added that "there are Jordanian officers and tribal leaders who are colluding with the smugglers in exchange for huge sums of money paid to them by Iran and Hezbollah."
Last Thursday, Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi threatened to expand ground operations against Israel and its Western supporters, stating that his group "will soon surprise Israel and the United States with its ground operations, just as it surprised them with its operations in the Red Sea."
Since last November, the Houthi group has continued its attacks with missiles and drones against commercial ships in the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and the Gulf of Aden.
The group's attacks, which have been condemned globally, have led to increased maritime insurance costs and prompted many international shipping companies to opt for the much longer route around the southern tip of Africa.
To deter the Houthis and protect maritime navigation, the United States formed a multinational coalition in December 2023. American forces have also been carrying out strikes against Houthi military targets.
Since January 12th, the number of American and British airstrikes against the Houthis on the ground has reached about 560, resulting in the deaths of 58 members and the injury of 86 others, according to the group's own admission. The internationally recognized Yemeni government maintains that Western strikes are ineffective in neutralizing the Houthi threat to navigation and that the most effective solution is to support its armed forces to recapture Hodeidah and its ports, along with other areas under the group's control.