Saudi allies coordinate defence response to Houthi attacks

Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan have activated military coordination under their Makkah Joint Defence Agreement following a surge in Houthi attacks on the kingdom. Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif reiterated the country's firm support for Saudi Arabia under the pact, although he did not confirm if Pakistan has joined in the strikes or requested direct military assistance.

The three countries' defense chiefs and chiefs of general staff held an urgent meeting in Riyadh on Friday, where they discussed threats facing the kingdom and agreed to enhance intelligence cooperation, military coordination, and integration of capabilities to bolster collective defense and deterrence. The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to Saudi Arabia's security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, with no joint combat deployments or specific operational measures announced.

The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, signed on August 7, treats an armed attack against any one of the three states as an attack against all, with broader defense cooperation among the central provisions. As Houthi forces intensified their missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia and fighting expanded inside Yemen, Saudi Arabia's military spokesman Turki al-Maliki reported that six ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis on Thursday were intercepted and destroyed before reaching Taif and the Red Sea industrial city of Yanbu.

Meanwhile, the UN has warned that Yemen has returned to large-scale fighting after a period of relative calm following a 2022 truce, with Houthi operations expanding across several fronts. These attacks have included targeting civilian and energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, leading to a sharp increase in displacement inside Yemen.

Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti urged soldiers on the kingdom's frontiers to remain vigilant and ready to perform their duties and defend the country's territory, emphasizing the importance of protecting Yemen's internationally recognized government against the Houthis, who control Sanaa and significant territory in northern and western Yemen.