Pakistan Saudi Arabia Turkiye Defense Alliance: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye activate Mecca defence pact amid Houthi attacks
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye have agreed to immediately implement their collective defence commitments and ensure the “rapid deployment” of agreed military forces and capabilities in Saudi Arabia, following an emergency meeting of the three countries’ Mecca Defence Alliance in Riyadh.The decision was announced in a joint statement shared by Pakistan’s foreign ministry on Monday. The move will be carried out under “approved arrangements” and in accordance with the national laws of the three countries.The three countries had signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in August, under which an armed attack on one member is considered an attack on all. The agreement did not specify the military commitments or defence obligations of each country at the time.
Alliance moves to strengthen collective response
The committee overseeing the defence pact decided to take the necessary measures to provide the agreed military forces and capabilities and ensure their rapid deployment in the kingdom, according to the joint statement.“The committee decided to move immediately to the practical implementation of the collective defence commitments and to take the necessary measures to provide the agreed military forces and capabilities and ensure their rapid deployment in the kingdom … thereby enhancing readiness, military integration, and the collective capacity to confront and counter threats,” the statement said.The statement also said, “The parties affirmed that the security of each party is an integral part of the collective security of the three countries.”Saudi defence minister Khalid bin Salman said the Strategic Political and Defence Committee of the alliance had “agreed to activate collective deterrence measures” in response to recent attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group.“The committee agreed to activate collective deterrence measures within the framework of the Alliance in response to the attacks and all those responsible for them,” Salman said on X.He added that the committee had expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia over the “heinous attacks” targeting the kingdom and its holy sites.
Houthi attacks raise tensions
The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said on Thursday that the Iran-aligned group had attacked a power distribution station in Medina that supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque, one of Islam’s holiest sites.The joint statement from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye also condemned what it described as the attempted targeting of Mecca and Medina, and reaffirmed their rejection of attacks or threats against Saudi Arabia’s security and territorial integrity.The developments come amid renewed fighting in Yemen that has spilled into neighbouring Saudi Arabia, with the Houthis launching drone and missile attacks targeting Saudi territory.
Saudi-backed forces launch Yemen offensive
Saudi-backed forces have also launched a major offensive against the Houthis in Yemen.According to news agency AP, forces allied with Yemen’s internationally recognised government recaptured the strategic town of Dhubab, just north of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, along with the towns of Bab and Hadeid.The offensive was launched under air cover from the Saudi-led coalition. Saudi coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki said 100 fighter jets were supporting government forces and that the coalition had secured “air protection” of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and destroyed hundreds of Houthi targets.The offensive followed the Houthis’ capture of the town of Turbah on Sunday. The Saudi-backed government said it was mobilising troops across areas under its control, while Presidential Leadership Council head Rashad al-Alimi said the operation was aimed at “recovering the remaining territories” controlled by the Houthis.Al-Alimi later said the operation, dubbed “Yemen Dawn”, had begun with the aim of “restoring state institutions, liberating” Sanaa and ending “the Houthi terrorist militia coup”.
Fighting revives Yemen conflict
The latest escalation has revived Yemen’s civil war after a four-year ceasefire. The Houthis captured Sanaa in 2014, forcing the internationally recognised government to flee into exile in Saudi Arabia.The Houthis have made advances along Yemen’s western coast, including the capture of Mokha and several Red Sea islands.These gains enabled the group to control the Yemeni side of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a major maritime chokepoint through which about 12% of global trade transits.US secretary of state Marco Rubio said Saudi Arabia and the United States have a defence agreement and that the Saudi-backed government had a right to defend itself.US officials also said Washington had provided support for the Saudi-led offensive, including intelligence sharing, target identification and planning, AP reported.The latest bout of violence has killed at least 959 people and wounded more than 4,200, according to the World Health Organization, while about 174,097 people have been displaced inside Yemen.More than 3,000 others have fled across the waters to Djibouti, according to the UN migration agency.
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