14 hrs ago

Pakistan Confirms Troops in Saudi Arabia Amid Houthi Escalation

Pakistan says some of its military personnel are already in Saudi Arabia.

They have been there for many years, but officials did not say how many there are or exactly what each person does.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye have also agreed to work more closely on defence.

Their agreement says an attack on one country would be treated as an attack on all three.

Pakistan says the agreement is defensive and is not aimed at any particular country.

The three countries have discussed working together on military capabilities, defence industries and technology.

The announcement comes as fighting involving Houthi rebels and Saudi-backed forces has intensified.

The Houthis have attacked Saudi Arabia, while Saudi-backed Yemeni forces have operated near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Key facts

Troop presence: Pakistan says its forces have maintained a presence in Saudi Arabia for decades.
Personnel details: The number of personnel and their specific current roles were not disclosed.
Agreement: The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement was signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye on August 7 in Mecca.
Collective defence: The agreement says an armed attack against one member will be treated as an attack against all three.
Pakistan's position: Pakistan says the agreement is defensive and is not directed against any particular country.
Regional context: The article reports Houthi attacks targeting Saudi Arabia and operations by Saudi-backed Yemeni forces near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Further coordination: Officials from the three countries have discussed military capabilities, defence-industry ties and joint technology development.

firstpost.com · 14 hrs ago