Three alleged Houthi attempts target Makkah, Madinah since 2017
Saudi Arabia has reported three alleged Houthi attempts to target Makkah and Madinah over nine years. Two incidents occurred in September 2026, while Saudi authorities reported another case in July 2017. The latest allegation involved a drone attack targeting a power station in Madinah. Saudi-led coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Maliki said the attack damaged […]
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced on Friday the impending meeting of the Strategic Political Defence Committee (SPDC) in Riyadh "soon". The deputy premier was speaking at a press briefing about the Pakistani delegation's activities during the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session in New York in September, as well as high-level meetings held on the side.
"We made a plan because all three of us countries were present (in New York)," Dar stated, referring to himself, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. The SPDC, formed under the Makkah Accord, consists of three members from each nation: foreign ministers, defence ministers, and chiefs of army staff.
A special meeting of the three army chiefs occurred in Riyadh on September 25, Dar added, noting that foreign ministers had met in New York on September 24 in response to heightened Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. "Sooner rather than later, a full meeting of the SPDC … has been agreed to in principle, to convene in Riyadh," the deputy premier declared, emphasizing that the committee would deliberate on the current situation and "ground reality", particularly concerning Saudi Arabia.
Dar did not provide specific details about the meeting's date in his briefing but assured that subsequent information would be released after the event. When asked, he confirmed that this gathering was an emergency session, with plans to convene again after "the end of October or beginning of November", when the committee's objectives were anticipated to be realized.
Regarding a broader issue, the foreign minister disclosed that United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was scheduled to visit Pakistan "soon", likely before the end of his tenure. He noted that Guterres had met with the Pakistani delegation at the UNGA session, adding that "We have invited him to Pakistan and the UN secretary general has accepted".
Describing Guterres as a staunch supporter of Pakistan, the deputy premier highlighted the secretary general's "unforgettable" assistance during the country's crises. He added that Guterres' term will conclude on December 31 of the current year, and the visit was expected to take place "very soon" upon the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Dar expressed optimism, stating that the visit would be a "memorable visit".
Written by urgent.news from Dawn's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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