Mecca Defence Alliance Agrees to Activate Collective Deterrence Measures Over Houthi Attacks

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan agreed on Monday to activate collective deterrence measures under the Mecca Defence Alliance, marking the first time the pact has been invoked since it was signed on August 7, in response to what the three countries described as "heinous attacks" by Yemen's Houthi rebels against Saudi territory and the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.

The decision came out of an emergency meeting of the alliance's Strategic Political and Defence Committee in Riyadh. Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman said the committee had agreed to trigger the deterrence measures in response to the attacks and those responsible for them. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry confirmed the three countries had committed to providing previously agreed military forces and capabilities and ensuring their rapid deployment to Saudi Arabia.

The committee said implementing the agreement would strengthen deterrence and demonstrate the alliance members' commitment to defending one another, stressing that the security of each member state forms an indivisible part of their collective security. The steps are to be carried out under previously approved arrangements and each country's national laws, aimed at boosting military readiness and integration among the three nations.

The committee also appointed retired Pakistani Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood as the alliance's first secretary-general for a three-year term, as officials indicated work to formalise the alliance's institutional structure was nearing completion.

The move comes as the Saudi-backed Yemeni government has launched a counteroffensive aimed at reclaiming territory the Iran-aligned Houthis seized last month, with fighting in Yemen continuing to threaten wider regional security.

Meanwhile, the Houthis claimed an attack on the King Khalid International airport in Riyadh and the Aramco refinery in coastal Rabigh. They also said it hit a series of sites, including an airport, an airbase and other critical locations.

There was no confirmation from Riyadh on the Houthi claim.