Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey form a defence alliance

On Monday, an emergency meeting of representatives from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey was held in Riyadh, where the parties agreed on joint military defence of the kingdom against possible attacks and on preparing for the rapid deployment of troops on its territory. The talks took place against the backdrop of explosions that rocked the Saudi capital and a coalition offensive against Yemen's Houthi rebels.

Following the meeting, the three countries decided to activate a collective deterrence mechanism against attacks targeting Saudi Arabia and to immediately begin implementing joint defence commitments — including preparations for the rapid deployment of agreed forces and military equipment in the kingdom. The alliance's special committee agreed to move straight to the practical implementation of these decisions. All three countries stressed that the security of each alliance member is an “integral part” of their collective security.

The agreement was reached on the very day explosions were heard in Riyadh. At the same time, the Saudi-led coalition pushed Houthi rebels out of several key areas near the strategic Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and announced an offensive on Yemen's capital, Sanaa, which the Houthi insurgents have held since 2014.

In response, the Houthis warned on Monday that Saudi Arabia's airspace had become unsafe for civilian flights. “The kingdom's airspace will become an operational field for our armed forces,” representatives of the movement said.

Source: novinky.cz