Pakistan to deploy troops for first time to support Saudi-backed forces in Yemen

Turkey and Pakistan will move towards the rapid deployment of troops to Saudi Arabia under a new mutual defence alliance, the three countries announced recently, as the Gulf nation faces a growing number of attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, Agence France-Presse reported.

The three nations signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in August, pledging to support one another militarily if any of them comes under attack.

The alliance brings together Turkey, which has NATO’s second-largest military, Pakistan, the only nuclear-armed country in the Islamic world, and Saudi Arabia, the region’s leading Gulf power.

Officials from the three countries met for an emergency meeting in Riyadh on Monday, where they discussed recent attacks on Saudi territory, including incidents involving the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. The statement did not directly name the Iran-backed Houthis.

In a joint statement, the three countries “reaffirmed their unequivocal rejection of any attack or threat against the Kingdom’s security and territorial integrity.”

They further agreed to immediately begin implementing their collective defence commitments, including taking steps to provide the required military forces and capabilities and ensuring their swift deployment to Saudi Arabia.

However, the statement did not clarify what specific duties or responsibilities the troops would undertake after arriving in the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia has faced repeated Houthi attacks against its cities, oil facilities and maritime targets since fighting in Yemen’s civil war intensified again in July.

In September, the Houthis launched a fresh offensive and captured large areas from Yemen’s Saudi-backed government. Riyadh-backed government forces began a counteroffensive on Monday aimed at reclaiming all territory controlled by the Houthis, including areas that have remained under their control for more than a decade.