Saudi Arabia, Pakistan And Turkey Agree To Deploy Forces After Houthi Strikes
The mutual assistance decision links three major regional militaries to protect Saudi infrastructure and holy sites following renewed fighting and cross-border attacks from Yemen.
Officials from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey agreed on Oct. 5, 2026, to rapidly deploy military forces to Saudi Arabia under their mutual defense treaty. The decision followed an emergency meeting of the Mecca Defense Alliance committee in Riyadh.
The session included Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman Al Saud, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir took part in the consultations. Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler and military chief General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu addressed operational deployment plans.
A joint statement released through Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry affirmed that the security of each member is integral to collective security. The three governments strongly condemned attacks directed at Mecca and Medina. They also condemned strikes against Saudi economic and civilian infrastructure.
The alliance activated the pact in response to escalating drone and missile strikes from Yemen by the Houthi movement. Houthi forces claimed strikes against several Saudi airports, an oil refinery, an oil pipeline and a Medina power station. That station feeds the perimeter of the Prophet's Mosque.
Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid said the committee activated collective deterrence measures under the alliance framework. Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif stated that Saudi Arabia is conducting its own direct combat operations. Asif emphasized that Pakistani and Turkish contributions will remain strictly defensive.
A senior Turkish official speaking anonymously said Ankara does not plan to send large combat forces or intervene directly in Yemen. Turkish opposition lawmaker Namik Tan questioned whether the pact was legally binding. Tan demanded clarification on how deployments could occur without parliamentary approval.
The committee appointed retired Pakistani Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood as the alliance’s first secretary-general for a three-year term. Mahmood will lead a permanent secretariat based in Riyadh.
Meanwhile, Yemeni government forces launched a counteroffensive backed by Saudi air cover along the Red Sea coast. Saudi-led coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Malki reported that about 100 fighter jets supported operations near the Bab el-Mandeb corridor.
The United Nations migration agency reported that the revived conflict has internally displaced between 174,000 and 184,000 people in Yemen. Several thousand others have fled across the sea to Djibouti.
The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement was signed on Aug. 7, 2026, establishing a mutual assistance commitment. The pact expanded a bilateral defense agreement signed by Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in September 2025. It links the world’s leading oil producer with nuclear-armed Pakistan and Turkey’s standing military.
A United Nations-brokered ceasefire in Yemen collapsed in July 2026 after maritime attacks resumed. In September 2026, a Houthi offensive overran parts of the Red Sea coast, including the port of Mocha.
Planned deployments will focus on air defense systems, electronic warfare units, drone operators and intelligence sharing. The deployment of Turkish military assets remains subject to formal review and ratification by the Turkish parliament.
