Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Pakistan plan urgent military chiefs’ talks

Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan are planning an urgent meeting of their military chiefs to discuss ways to support Saudi Arabia under a joint defence agreement, as fighting involving Yemen’s Houthi rebels intensifies, Al Jazeera reports.

The announcement followed a meeting in New York on September 24 between Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

The statement did not specify when the military chiefs would meet or what form of support could be considered.

Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement on August 7 to strengthen collective deterrence and expand defence cooperation. Under the pact, an attack on one of the three countries is considered an attack on all three.

The countries have since begun establishing mechanisms under the agreement. Their foreign and defence ministers and military chiefs met in Istanbul on 31 August for the first meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee, where they agreed to establish a secretariat in Saudi Arabia and deepen military cooperation.

The meeting of foreign ministers also condemned attacks targeting Mecca and civilian and economic facilities in Saudi Arabia. It affirmed Saudi Arabia’s right to defend itself under Article 51 of the UN Charter.

The diplomatic moves came as Saudi Arabia reported a new wave of attacks from Yemen.

Saudi Arabia said its air defences shot down six ballistic missiles launched towards Taif and Yanbu on September 24. Coalition spokesman Major-General Turki al-Malki said further Houthi escalation would be “dealt with firmly”.

The Houthis separately claimed missile and drone attacks on a “sensitive target” in Riyadh and Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu.

France has also offered defensive support to Saudi Arabia. President Emmanuel Macron said Paris would send military assets, including soldiers, radars and defence systems, to protect Yanbu.

The cross-border attacks have coincided with some of the heaviest fighting inside Yemen since hostilities escalated again.

At least 150 Houthi fighters and members of government-aligned forces were killed in 24 hours leading up to September 25, according to an AFP tally. The figure included 98 fighters on the government side and 52 Houthis.

The renewed fighting has also displaced more than 230,000 people since the beginning of September, according to UNHCR. The agency said this added to about 5.2 million people already internally displaced across Yemen.

Families have been uprooted across several governorates, including Hodeidah, Taiz, Lahj, Aden, Abyan, Marib, al-Dhalea and Shabwah.

UNHCR said many people had fled at short notice with few belongings, while shelter, food, clean water, healthcare and protection services were among the most urgent needs.

By Aghakazim Guliyev