Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan vow to deploy forces under Mecca defense pact

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan held an emergency meeting of the Mecca defense pact on Monday to discuss how to support Saudi defenses against attacks launched by Yemen's Houthis.

Saudi Defense Minister Khaled bin Salman said on X that the alliance "reaffirmed the solidarity and unity of our countries in the face of heinous attacks targeting the Kingdom and the holy sites." He added that the committee had decided to activate "collective deterrence measures" in response to these attacks and against "all those responsible for them."

In a joint statement, the three countries said the security of each is inseparable from their collective security. They agreed to implement their mutual defense commitments "immediately," including by mobilizing military forces and assets for rapid deployment in Saudi Arabia. 

They also condemned the attempts to target Mecca and Medina, both hit by drone attacks attributed to the Houthis, as well as repeated strikes on Saudi cities and on civilian and economic infrastructure, including oil facilities.

The pact, signed in Mecca on August 7, treats an armed attack on any of the three states as an attack on all.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the meeting also discussed how to resolve the problem peacefully through dialogue. "Saudi Arabia has adopted a very constructive approach to reaching a settlement," he told the press.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is "deeply concerned" by the sharp intensification of fighting in Yemen, his spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said, and condemned the Houthis' continued cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia. 

Since the war resumed in July between the Houthis and government forces backed by a Riyadh-led coalition, the Houthis have regularly struck the kingdom, while Saudi aircraft bomb Houthi-held territory in Yemen.