The Mecca defence pact was signed on August 7Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye have agreed to immediately implement their collective defence commitments and ensure the “rapid deployment” of agreed military forces and capabilities in Saudi Arabia, following an emergency meeting of the three countries’ Mecca Defence Alliance in Riyadh. The decision was announced in a joint statement shared by Pakistan’s foreign ministry on Monday.

The move will be carried out under “approved arrangements” and in accordance with the national laws of the three countries. The three countries had signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in August, under which an armed attack on one member is considered an attack on all.

The agreement did not specify the military commitments or defence obligations of each country at the time. “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 … thereby enhancing readiness, military integration, and the collective capacity to confront and counter threats,” the statement said.

The statement also said, “The parties affirmed that the security of each party is an integral part of the collective security of the three countries.” He added that the committee had expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia over the “heinous attacks” targeting the kingdom and its holy sites.

Houthi attacks raise tensionsThe Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said on Thursday that the Iran-aligned group had attacked a power distribution station in Medina that supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque, one of Islam’s holiest sites. The joint statement from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye also condemned what it described as the attempted targeting of Mecca and Medina, and reaffirmed their rejection of attacks or threats against Saudi Arabia’s security and territorial integrity.

The developments come amid renewed fighting in Yemen that has spilled into neighbouring Saudi Arabia, with the Houthis launching drone and missile attacks targeting Saudi territory. Saudi-backed forces launch Yemen offensiveSaudi-backed forces have also launched a major offensive against the Houthis in Yemen.

According to news agency AP, forces allied with Yemen’s internationally recognised government recaptured the strategic town of Dhubab, just north of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, along with the towns of Bab and Hadeid. The offensive was launched under air cover from the Saudi-led coalition.