Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey said they would rapidly deploy agreed forces in the kingdom under an August defense pact after Houthi attacks, without stating troop numbers.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey agreed on Monday to implement collective-defense commitments and to ensure the rapid deployment of agreed forces in Saudi Arabia, a joint statement shared by Pakistan's foreign ministry said.
The decision came at an emergency meeting of the Mecca Defense Alliance in Riyadh and is to follow each country's laws, Nikkei reported, citing the statement. The three signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement in August, under which an attack on one is treated as an attack on all. The original text did not spell out force levels.
Al Jazeera said this is the first time the pact is being put into operation. Pakistan's defence minister Khawaja Asif, speaking from Riyadh, said Turkish and Pakistani forces were in a supporting role, including reconnaissance, and that Saudi forces were conducting the fighting.
Saudi-led coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki said 100 fighter jets were backing a Yemeni government push to retake ground seized by the Houthis last month, Al Jazeera reported. The statement did not give the size of the Turkish or Pakistani contingents.
The Saudi defence minister said the meeting reaffirmed solidarity after attacks on the kingdom and holy sites. No public timetable for the arrival of Turkish units had been released by Tuesday.
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- Khawaja Asif said Turkish and Pakistani forces were supporting reconnaissance and that Saudi units were doing the fighting.
- The joint statement said the committee would move immediately to practical implementation of the defense commitments.