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BackPakistani troops expected to take over defensive functions for Saudi Arabia
Pakistani troops expected to take over defensive functions for Saudi Arabia
Developing
SCMP Economy48 minutes agoDefense1 min readChina

Pakistani troops expected to take over defensive functions for Saudi Arabia

Islamabad and Riyadh highlight recent Houthi drone attack on Mecca to rally support among Pakistanis for the move.

pakistansaudi arabiahouthis

Quick Look

Pakistani troops are expected to take over defensive functions for Saudi Arabia, freeing up Saudi forces to fight an all-out war against Yemen's Houthi rebels without directly participating in ground offensives.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

To rally support among Pakistanis, Islamabad and Riyadh have highlighted the Houthis' recent drone attack on Mecca.

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To rally support among Pakistanis for the move, Islamabad and Riyadh have highlighted the Houthis’ recent drone attack on Mecca

Pakistani troops are expected to take over various defensive functions for Saudi Arabia to enable the Middle East country to fight an all-out war aimed at defeating Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

According to defence analysts, Pakistani troops are not expected to participate directly in ground offensives against the Houthis being planned by Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s squabbling government factions.

Instead, their primary objective would be to free up Saudi forces to focus on what is likely to be a sustained conflict involving hundreds of thousands of Yemeni fighters on both sides.

“Saudi Arabia needs Pakistan to help defend Saudi Arabia so that Saudi forces have greater freedom to operate against the Houthis,” said Andreas Krieg, an associate professor of defence studies at King’s College London.

What to Watch

AI outlook — possibilities, not facts

  • Pakistani troops will take over defensive functions for Saudi Arabia.

    Likely · Within months

Open Questions

  • When will Pakistani troops deploy to Saudi Arabia?
  • How many troops will be sent?

Related Topics

pakistan
PeopleTom HussainAndreas Krieg
OrganizationsKing’s College London
PlacesIslamabadRiyadhSaudi ArabiaYemen
Topicssaudi arabiahouthisyemenmilitary
This article was originally published by SCMP Economy.

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