Pakistani army general confirms presence of his country's troops in Saudi Arabia

Islamabad: A senior Pakistan Army general has confirmed the presence of his country's troops in Saudi Arabia, saying they were performing duties in "multiple capabilities" and "domains", amid increasing attacks in the Gulf Kingdom by Yemen's Houthis.

The acknowledgement by the military spokesman Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry comes days after Pakistan and Turkiye agreed to deploy their troops in Saudi Arabia under the recently concluded Makkah defence pact.

The pact, signed by the three countries in August, establishes a framework for collective deterrence and stipulates that an armed attack against any one of them would be regarded as an attack against all.


"I can confirm that we, the forces of Pakistan, are already there (in Saudi Arabia). That I can assure you," Lt Gen Chaudhry told CNN in an interview.

He, however, did not disclose the details of the deployment of the troops or their capabilities or numbers, saying those details were classified, according to the channel.

When asked if the troops were deployed under the Makkah alliance, the spokesman said that the trilateral pact "is not something that has come out in a vacuum."

"There is a sustained diplomatic, political, military and people-to-people relationship between Pakistan, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia. So, I can share with you that Pakistani forces, in multiple capabilities and domains, are already there," he said.

"Whenever there is a military conflict, no participating country starts disclosing how and where it is going to employ its forces," he said, adding any involvement would be "defensive in nature."

"The objective of this alliance is the defence of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia... That will be done," he added.

Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Thursday stressed that the trilateral pact is "defensive in nature" and does not authorise attacks on other countries.

Speaking at a press conference in Ankara, Fidan said the pact does not authorise Turkiye to deploy troops to another country's territory to carry out an attack, Anadolu Agency reported.

In recent days, Houthis have accelerated their attacks against Saudi Arabia. Three people were killed in Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi airports this week, according to media reports.

The Houthis, backed by Iran, control northern Yemen. Last month, they took control of the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait, along Yemen's Red Sea coast, from the internationally recognised Yemeni government forces.

An emergency meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee of the Makkah Alliance was held in Riyadh on Monday.

A statement issued after the meeting said the committee "decided to move immediately to the practical implementation of the collective defence commitments and to take the necessary measures to provide the agreed military forces and capabilities and ensure their rapid deployment in the Kingdom."

The statement did not provide any details or schedule of troop deployment against the backdrop of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir attended the meeting from Pakistan's side.

After the meeting, Asif told Geo News that Pakistan and Turkiye had a "presence in theatre", but only Saudi troops were involved in combat operations.

"Whatever assistance they require is being provided. But right now, the Turkish and Pakistani armies are playing a supportive role," he said, noting that Pakistan was involved in reconnaissance.

Last month, the chiefs of defence forces and chiefs of general staff of the three countries met in Riyadh and reviewed the security situation.