Makkah Pact goes live: Türkiye and Pakistan to deploy forces to Saudi Arabia as Yemen war flares

Two countries have pledged to send troops to Saudi Arabia under a mutual-defence pact that has just become real. At an emergency meeting in Riyadh on Monday, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan agreed to move 'immediately to the practical implementation of the collective defence commitments' of the so-called Makkah Pact, signed in August, and to 'ensure their rapid deployment' to the Kingdom following weeks of Houthi attacks on Saudi territory. The decision, announced in a joint statement by Pakistan's Foreign Ministry, was taken by the pact's Political and Defence Strategic Committee. It does not specify how many troops will be deployed, which units they will come from, or what role they will fill , only that the forces will be provided under previously approved arrangements and each country's domestic law. Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman said after the meeting that the members had agreed to activate 'collective deterrence measures' in response to the attacks and those responsible for them. The statement condemned attempts to target the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah alongside continued strikes on Saudi cities and civilian and economic facilities, without naming the Houthis. The announcement coincided with a dramatic escalation on the ground. Yemen's government said its military carried out more than 1,000 strikes and began an offensive toward the Houthi-held capital Sanaa, while the Saudi-led coalition supporting the internationally recognised government said 100 warplanes flew sorties at dawn. The operation, dubbed the 'Dawn of Yemen', aims at retaking territory the Houthis seized last month along the Red Sea coast and the Bab al-Mandab strait , a chokepoint for oil and cargo shipping , in Yemen's deadliest fighting in years. The Houthis have declared a maritime blockade on Saudi ships and continued attacks on the Kingdom; as the joint statement was released, an AFP journalist in north Riyadh reported hearing a powerful explosion. The committee said the security of each member was inseparable from the collective security of all three, presenting the deployment as both deterrence and a signal of unity.