An emergency meeting in Riyadh activates collective defence under the Mecca Defence Alliance after alleged Houthi attempts to target Islam’s holiest cities
Riyadh: Pakistan and Turkey on Monday agreed to deploy troops to Saudi Arabia, putting the trilateral Mecca Defence Alliance into practical operation for the first time. The move comes as Yemen’s Houthi rebels continue their attacks on the Kingdom.
The decision was taken at an emergency session of the alliance’s Strategic Political and Defence Committee in Riyadh. Saudi defence minister Prince Khalid bin Salman said on X that the committee had reaffirmed the three nations’ unity against attacks on the Kingdom and the holy sites, and had agreed to activate collective deterrence against those responsible.
A joint statement condemned what it called a Houthi attempt to target Mecca and Medina, along with continuing strikes on Saudi cities, civilian infrastructure and economic facilities. Members declared that the security of each state is inseparable from the collective security of all three.
The committee ordered an immediate shift to implementing its collective defence commitments. Agreed forces and military assets will be deployed swiftly to the Kingdom, in line with approved arrangements and each country’s national laws.
The committee also named retired Pakistan Army Lieutenant General Numan Mahmud as the alliance’s first Secretary-General, for a three-year term.
According to sources, the meeting follows weeks of Houthi strikes, during which Riyadh and its allies in Yemen’s government have launched a counteroffensive against the group.
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