Türkiye and Pakistan send military forces to Saudi Arabia against Houthi attacks

Turkey and Pakistan, linked to Saudi Arabia by a mutual defense pact, announced in a joint statement the dispatch of military forces to the Kingdom, the target of regular attacks by Yemen's Houthi fighters.

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman issued a statement at the end of an emergency meeting in Riyadh among the signatories of the Mecca Pact, the joint defense agreement signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan. Al-Jazeera writes it.

The Minister said that the meeting "reaffirmed the solidarity and unity of our countries in addressing" the "cowardly attacks" by the Houthis "against the Kingdom and the holy places".

He also added that the countries "agreed to activate collective deterrence measures within the Alliance, in response to the attacks and all those responsible for them".

A committee of the Mecca Defense Pact, the Arab newspaper writes, has "decided to adopt the necessary measures to provide the agreed military forces and capabilities and guarantee their rapid deployment in the Kingdom".

A joint statement, released today following the emergency meeting of officials from the three countries, also "condemned in the strongest terms the attempt to strike Mecca and Medina... reiterating the clear rejection of any attack or threat to the security and territorial integrity of the Kingdom".

"The Committee decided to proceed immediately with the practical implementation of the collective defense commitments and to adopt the necessary measures to provide the agreed military forces and capabilities and ensure their rapid deployment in the Kingdom, thus strengthening operational readiness, military integration and the collective ability to face and counter threats. The parties - concludes the statement - affirmed that the security of each of them is an integral part of the collective security of the three countries".