Türkiye, Pakistan agree Saudi Arabia military deployment under Mecca pact

Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to activate “deterrence measures” under a mutual defense pact and rapidly deploy forces to the Gulf kingdom to counter attacks by Yemen’s Houthis, Al Jazeera reported.

The decision was announced after the three countries’ defense and foreign ministers held an emergency meeting in Riyadh.

It marked the first time the alliance – known as the Mecca Alliance for Defense – has been invoked since it was signed on August 7.

The agreement declares that an attack on any of the three nations will be treated as an attack on all, mirroring a central provision of NATO’s founding treaty.

“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,” Khalid bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s defense minister, said in a social media post.

He said the alliance had “reaffirmed the solidarity and unity of our countries, in confronting the heinous attacks against the Kingdom, and holy sites”.

A separate joint statement published by Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said the three countries would “provide the agreed military forces and capabilities and ensure their rapid deployment” to Saudi Arabia.

The announcements came hours after forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognized government launched a counteroffensive to retake territory the Iran-aligned Houthis captured last month. The Yemeni forces, who are backed by Saudi Arabia, said they have retaken the port city of Mocha on the Red Sea and are now in control of the strategic Bab al-Mandeb strait. The Saudi-led coalition has confirmed its participation in the Yemeni government offensive, saying 100 of its fighter jets are providing air support.

The Houthis, meanwhile, claimed an attack on the King Khalid International airport in Riyadh and the Aramco refinery in coastal Rabigh.

The group also said it hit a series of sites, including an airport, an airbase and other critical locations.

There was no confirmation from Riyadh on the Houthi claim, according to Al Jazeera.