ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Syrian troops have begun deploying to Yemen and Saudi Arabia to bolster the Saudi-led military coalition against Yemen's Houthis, AFP reported on Saturday, with thousands of personnel set to follow the initial contingent.

A source from the internationally recognized Yemeni government's Presidential Leadership Council told the outlet that "the Syrian side and the Saudi side agreed to send around 3,000 troops to fight against the Houthis," while other official sources confirmed that the deployment would take place on both sides of the border.

Hundreds of Syrian fighters are reportedly already present in the two countries, with the first phase of 3,000 soldiers set to rise to 10,000 as the deployment progresses, per a Yemeni defense ministry source.

Other military officials told AFP that the Syrian personnel already in Yemen are conducting drone operations against Houthi fighters.

No official confirmation of the operation has been made by the Syrian authorities as of yet.

Saudi Arabia, which has served as a key financial backer of the post-Bashar al-Assad Syrian government, has sought to bring in allies to bolster its campaign against Yemen's Houthi rebels, which reignited after the Iran-aligned group accused Riyadh of bombing an airport in Sanaa in July to prevent an Iranian delegation from landing.

Since that juncture, the Houthis have launched a sweeping offensive that saw them seize large swatches of Red Sea coastline, ramping up pressure on Riyadh via long-range missile strikes on Saudi airports and oil infrastructure.

Turkey and Pakistan, Saudi's fellow participants in the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, have committed to deploying troops to support Saudi defense efforts, though both Ankara and Islamabad have ruled out any prospect of their forces conducting offensive operations in Yemen itself, a constraint that appears not to apply to the Syrian contingent.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa visited Riyadh earlier in the week, meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Damascus has previously spoken of its desire to participate in the burgeoning regional security framework and expressed interest in joining the Mecca Agreeement.