Troops from NATO member Turkey, nuclear-armed Pakistan headed to Saudi Arabia

Turkey and Pakistan will send troops to Saudi Arabia in a “rapid deployment” under a new mutual defense alliance, the three countries said Monday, as the kingdom faces escalating attacks from Yemen’s Houthis.

Representatives of the three nations held an emergency meeting in Riyadh on Monday. They noted recent attacks on Saudi Arabia, particularly those targeting the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, but did not 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 also agreed “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,” the statement said.

It did not specify what role the troops would fill once in Saudi Arabia.

Alliance

The three countries signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in August, committing to come to one another’s aid if any is attacked. The pact brings together Turkey, which has NATO’s second-largest army; Pakistan, the Islamic world’s only nuclear-armed state; and Saudi Arabia, the largest Gulf power.

Houthi attacks

Saudi Arabia has faced repeated Houthi attacks on its cities, oil infrastructure and ships since Yemen’s civil war flared up again in July.

In September, the Houthis launched a new offensive that seized large areas from Yemen’s internationally recognized government. On Monday, the government launched a counteroffensive with Riyadh’s support, seeking to retake all Houthi-held territory, some of which the group has held for more than a decade.