Pakistan has reportedly stepped up its military support for Saudi Arabia, with Pakistani Air Force fighter jets being used in strikes against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, according to a report by The New York Times.
A senior Pakistani military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the newspaper that Pakistan Air Force fighter aircraft were involved in attacks targeting Houthi positions.
The reported deployment marks a major expansion of Islamabad’s military role in the escalating confrontation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, who have intensified missile and drone attacks against Saudi territory in recent days.
Pakistani forces already in Saudi Arabia
Pakistani military personnel are already stationed in Saudi Arabia, according to CNN. Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, head of Pakistan’s military media wing, confirmed that Pakistani forces were present in the Gulf kingdom but declined to disclose their strength or operational capabilities, citing security concerns.
The reports come shortly after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey activated their collective defence arrangement, known as the Mecca Pact.
The three countries signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in August. Under the agreement, an armed attack against any one of the three nations is to be treated as an attack against all three, establishing a collective-security framework.
Defence pact activated amid rising tensions
The pact was put into operation this week following an emergency meeting of the three countries’ strategic political and defence committee in Riyadh.
The countries agreed to work towards the rapid deployment of military forces and defence capabilities in Saudi Arabia in response to growing security threats.
According to The New York Times, US defence analyst Col. David O. Smith, a former US Army attaché in Pakistan and former senior Defense Intelligence Agency analyst, estimated that around 8,000 Pakistani troops are currently deployed in Saudi Arabia.
The force is believed to include personnel from the Pakistan Air Force and Army Air Defence units and could play a role in protecting strategic infrastructure, including key oil facilities.
Smith said Pakistani troops were unlikely to participate in direct ground combat against the Houthis because Islamabad would also need to maintain its diplomatic and security relationship with neighbouring Iran.
Focus likely to be on air defence
A second Pakistani official, also speaking anonymously, reportedly said Islamabad’s involvement would primarily focus on countering Houthi missile and drone attacks through air support rather than deploying ground troops into Yemen.
Pakistan’s military has not officially confirmed reports that its fighter jets are taking part in strikes against Houthi targets.
The reported development comes as Saudi Arabia faces a renewed wave of Houthi missile and drone attacks targeting cities, airports and critical infrastructure.
Riyadh has responded by intensifying its military operations against the Iran-backed group, raising concerns that the conflict could further widen across the region.
The reported Pakistani involvement could significantly alter the military dynamics of the conflict, while also testing Islamabad’s delicate relations with both Saudi Arabia and Iran.