Turkey and Pakistan for the first time have agreed to activate deterrence specials under the mutual defense pact signed by the neighborhing nations with Saudi Arabia.
Pakistan and Turkey are rapidly deployed forces to counter attacks by Yemen’s Houthis in Saudi Arabia. The decision was announced on Monday after defense and foreign ministers of the three countries held an emergency meeting in Riyadh. The meeting marked the first instance of the alliance ever since the Mecca Pact for defense has been invoked on August 7th. The agreement declared that any attack on any of the three nations would be treated as an attack on all, mirroring the 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 defence minister, said in a social media post as the military forces made ay to Saudi Arabia.
He added that the alliance had “reaffirmed the solidarity and the unity of countries in confronting the heinous attacks against the kingdom and the holy sites.”
Besides in a separate joint statement, the Pakistan’s foreign ministry also comfirmedthe development saying, three countries would “provide the agreed military forces and capabilities and ensure their rapid deployment” to Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi Defense-backed side of the proxy on the peace launched their offensive in Yemen, which included attacks against Saudi targets. The three members of the alliance combined nearly 1.4 million active troops, about 3,400 military aircraft, 6,000 tanks, and more than 340 naval assets as per sources.
The announcement came hours after the Yemen government launched a counteroffensive to retake its territory captured by the Iran-backed Houthis last month. Yemeni forces backed by Iran have captured the port city of Al Mokha on the Red Sea and are now controlling the strategic Bab al-Mandab 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 Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and the Aramco refinery in coastal Rabigh. The group said that it hit a series of sites including an airport, an airbase and other critical locations. However, there was no confirmation from Riyadh on the Houthi claim.