Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey activate joint defence pact

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey agreed Monday to begin implementing their collective defence commitments and rapidly deploy agreed forces and military capabilities to Saudi Arabia, according to a joint statement issued after an emergency meeting in Riyadh.

The deployment under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement will follow previously approved arrangements and each country’s national laws. The three countries did not disclose the number or type of forces involved or a timetable for their arrival.

Officials said the meeting reaffirmed the allies’ unity in confronting attacks against Saudi Arabia and Islamic holy sites. The participants condemned attempted attacks on Mecca and Medina, as well as continuing strikes against Saudi cities and civilian and economic facilities.

The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis said last week that the group had attacked a power distribution station in Medina that supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque. The Houthis were not explicitly named in the joint statement, but the deployment decision follows their attacks on Saudi targets amid renewed fighting in Yemen.

The three countries signed the defence agreement in August. It provides that an armed attack on one member will be treated as an attack on all, although the pact initially provided few details about the military obligations of each country.