Turkey and Pakistan activate Mecca defense pact to deploy troops in Saudi Arabia

Collective defense pact activated

Representatives from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan convened in Riyadh on Monday, 5 October 2026, for an emergency defense meeting following sustained strikes against Saudi territory. The three nations agreed to immediately implement the collective defense provisions of the Mecca Agreement, signed on 7 August 2026, which models its core mutual assistance clause on NATO Article 5. Under the treaty terms, an attack against one signatory is treated as an attack against all three. The Pakistani delegation in Riyadh included Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and Defense Minister Khawaja Asif. Retired Pakistani Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood was appointed as the alliance's first secretary-general to oversee collective military coordination and planning.

The tripartite committee decided to rapidly dispatch agreed military contingents and capabilities to the kingdom in accordance with each nation's domestic laws.

proceed immediately to the practical implementation of collective defense commitments and take the necessary measures to provide the agreed military forces and capabilities and ensure their rapid deployment to the Kingdom.

Cross-border strikes on Saudi infrastructure

The decision followed a series of drone, ballistic missile, and cruise missile strikes launched by Houthi forces into Saudi Arabia. Houthi military spokesmen claimed operations against King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the Aramco oil refinery in Rabigh, Abha airport, Khamis Mushait air base, and regional targets across Najran and Jazan provinces. On Tuesday, 6 October, the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation reported that three individuals suffered minor injuries from strikes hitting King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Jazan and Najran International Airport. The joint communique in Riyadh condemned strikes directed near the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, though the document omitted direct mention of the Houthi movement.

Saudi coalition spokesperson General Turki al-Malki defended the kingdom's military posture during ongoing operations along the Red Sea coast.

Saudi Arabia has the right to self-defense.

Escalation along the Yemeni coast

Inside Yemen, government forces aligned with Saudi Arabia launched a coordinated counteroffensive named Operation Dawn of Yemen. Presidential Leadership Council head Rashad al-Alimi announced the campaign to retake territory along the Red Sea corridor captured by Houthis in September. The Saudi-led coalition deployed 100 fighter jets to provide close air support. Yemeni military spokesperson Majed Abdullah al-Nuzaili stated that government operations neutralized 1,747 Houthi fighters across 1,122 engagements in Saada, al-Jawf, Taiz, and the coastal sector. Coalition naval units also struck Hodeidah port, destroying weapons depots, uncrewed explosive vessels, and naval mines.

Disputed front lines and shifting alliances

Control over the coastal corridor remains contested between the combatants. Yemeni government forces reported recapturing the port of Mokha and the Dhubab district to secure maritime access to the Bab el-Mandeb strait. Houthi officials denied these losses, publishing video footage from within Mokha and stating they had recaptured Dhubab airport. In the inland city of Taiz, Houthi fighters advanced and closed remaining withdrawal corridors, encircling Presidential Leadership Council units.

The activation of the tripartite pact follows shifting international alignments across the region. Saudi Arabia turned to Ankara and Islamabad after United States President Donald Trump declined Riyadh's requests for direct military intervention earlier in the month. Pakistan, which already maintains troops stationed in the kingdom, dispatched four cargo aircraft carrying weapons to Aden during the preceding week to support government forces.