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Pakistan jets reportedly used to strike Houthis as Mecca defence pact faces first major test
Pakistan confirmed its troops were deployed in Saudi Arabia but did not reveal their number or exact locations.
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Pakistan Air Force fighter jets stationed in Saudi Arabia are being used in strikes against the Houthis, a senior Pakistani military official told The New York Times on Wednesday. This comes amid an onslaught of missile and drone attacks by the Yemen-based group against the kingdom after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey signed the Mecca defence pact in August.
Pakistan has confirmed that its military personnel are deployed in Saudi Arabia, but stopped short of specifying how many personnel had been deployed or exactly where they were stationed.
Pakistan Army spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said Pakistani forces were operating in “multiple capabilities and domains”.
“The forces of Pakistan are already there. That I can share with you,” Chaudhry told CNN. He said any Pakistani involvement in the conflict would be defensive.
“The objective of this alliance is the defence of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” he said. “That will be done." He added that Pakistan’s commitment to Saudi Arabia’s security was “absolute”.
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Col David O Smith, a former US army attache in Pakistan and former senior Defense Intelligence Agency analyst, told the NYT he did not have access to classified deployment figures but the consensus among analysts was that around 8,000 Pakistani troops had been deployed to Saudi Arabia.
Pakistan has not publicly confirmed that figure.
Mecca defence pact focuses on joint defence
The deployment of Pakistani troops comes after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey signed the Mecca defence pact in August. Under the pact, an attack on any one of the three countries would be treated as an attack on all three.
Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said the pact was part of the long-standing ties between the three countries. He said it was not created only because of the recent Houthi attacks.
Chaudhry also said countries involved in military operations usually do not reveal in advance where or how their forces will be used.
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Turkey says pact is defensive
Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan said on Thursday that the pact was only for defence. He said it did not allow Turkey to attack other countries.
Speaking at a press conference in Ankara, Fidan said the agreement did not allow Turkey to send troops to another country to carry out attacks, according to Anadolu Agency. His comments came as questions grew over how the three countries would respond to the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.
Pakistan says its role is supportive
Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif earlier said Pakistan and Turkey had a military presence in the area, but Saudi forces were currently the only ones taking part in combat operations.
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Asif said Pakistan and Turkey were providing support to Saudi Arabia. He said Pakistan is also involved in reconnaissance.
“Whatever assistance they require is being provided,” Asif told Geo News, adding that the Pakistani and Turkish militaries were currently playing a supportive role.
Mecca pact begins defence preparations
The Strategic Political and Defence Committee of the Mecca Alliance held an emergency meeting in Riyadh on Monday as Houthi attacks increased. After the meeting, the committee said it would begin putting the joint defence commitments into action. It also said steps would be taken to provide the required military forces and equipment and ensure they can be quickly deployed in Saudi Arabia.
The statement did not say how many troops would be involved or when they would be deployed.
Houthi attacks increase pressure
Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia have increased. Three people were killed in Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi airports this week, as per Reuters
Last month, the Houthis took control of the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait along Yemen's Red Sea coast from forces of the internationally recognised Yemeni government.
