Riyadh has mobilized to address the security situation as the conflict with Yemen’s Houthi rebels has spilled over into Saudi territory. As part of this effort, Pakistan and Turkey are sending top military officials to attend an emergency meeting at Saudi Arabia’s request. Military preparations regarding this initiative began on Friday.
Turkey’s Ministry of Defence announced that the country’s Chief of General Staff, General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu, will visit Saudi Arabia. Simultaneously, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, General Asim Munir, is preparing to travel to Riyadh. This emergency meeting of military chiefs was initiated following a series of missile and drone attacks by the Houthis on Saudi soil.
Under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement signed on August 7, an attack on any one of the three nations—Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, or Turkey—is to be considered an attack on all three. Plans for this conference of military chiefs were finalized during a meeting in New York on September 24 between Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
However, both Pakistan and Turkey remain cautious about deploying troops for direct combat against the Houthis. Analysts note that Pakistan’s military is already occupied with managing tensions with India, instability along the Afghan border, and the activities of armed groups within the country. Meanwhile, Turkey is preoccupied with various NATO commitments and security concerns along the Syrian border. Consequently, deploying troops directly to the Yemen conflict could prove to be a complex decision for both nations.
Meanwhile, Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthi political bureau, has warned Pakistan and Turkey that any involvement in the conflict would be met with a harsh response.
To manage the situation, former Pakistani Lieutenant General Noman Mahmood was recently appointed as the first Secretary-General of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement. He will lead the General Secretariat established in Riyadh.
International support for Saudi Arabia is also growing. The UK has agreed to provide refueling support for Saudi warplanes, while France has confirmed the deployment of troops to secure the Yanbu oil terminal.
Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti, Sheikh Saleh al-Fawzan, has also called upon the country’s military personnel to unite against the Houthis, describing the defense of the nation’s borders as a sacred duty.
According to a regional diplomat, the Houthis are continuing to target various military and civilian installations in Saudi Arabia, while the Kingdom is simultaneously bolstering its preparedness for a prolonged conflict. Consequently, there is growing regional discussion regarding the specific military roles Pakistan and Turkey might ultimately assume under the Makkah defense pact.
Source: Al Jazeera
