Pakistan Jets Reportedly Strike Houthis In Yemen As Mecca Defence Pact Faces First Major Test

New Delhi: Pakistan Air Force fighter jets stationed in Saudi Arabia have reportedly been used in strikes against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, days after Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey activated their trilateral Mecca defence pact amid escalating attacks on the kingdom.

According to a report by The New York Times, a senior Pakistani military official, speaking anonymously, said on Wednesday that Pakistan Air Force fighter aircraft were being used in strikes against the Houthis. A second Pakistani official reportedly said Islamabad’s role was expected to focus on countering the group’s missile and drone threats through air support rather than launching a ground offensive in Yemen.

However, Pakistan’s Information Ministry has rejected the report, calling the claim that PAF aircraft were being used against the Houthis “fake and fabricated”. Islamabad has urged international media organisations to avoid what it described as speculative reporting on the deployment of Pakistani military forces under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.

The reported involvement of Pakistani fighter jets comes as the newly signed Mecca defence pact faces its first major test. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey agreed on October 5 to activate collective deterrence measures and move towards the rapid deployment of military forces and capabilities in Saudi Arabia following a sharp escalation in Houthi attacks.

The pact, signed in August, states that an armed attack against any one of the three countries would be treated as an attack against all three. The agreement was described by Pakistan as defensive in nature.

Around 8,000 Pakistani Troops In Saudi Arabia

While Pakistan has confirmed that its military personnel are already deployed in Saudi Arabia, Islamabad has not publicly disclosed their exact number, locations or operational capabilities.

Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the spokesperson for Pakistan's military, confirmed that Pakistani forces were present in the kingdom and said they were operating across “multiple capabilities and domains”. He maintained that any Pakistani involvement would be defensive and that the objective of the alliance was the defence of Saudi Arabia.

US defence analyst Col David O Smith, a former US Army attache in Pakistan and former Defence Intelligence Agency analyst, told The New York Times that the consensus among analysts was that around 8,000 Pakistani troops had been deployed to Saudi Arabia. He said the figure was not based on classified deployment data.

The reported contingent includes Pakistan Air Force personnel and Army Air Defence elements and could be involved in protecting critical oil infrastructure, according to the report. Smith also assessed that Pakistani troops were unlikely to engage in direct ground combat against the Houthis.

Pakistan has not officially confirmed the reported figure of 8,000 troops.

Turkey Rules Out Offensive Operations

Turkey, the third signatory to the Mecca pact, has also drawn a line between collective defence and offensive military operations.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Thursday that the agreement was defensive and did not authorise Turkey to send troops to another country to carry out attacks. Ankara has said it would support Saudi Arabia’s defence but would not participate in offensive operations against the Houthis inside Yemen.

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had earlier said that Pakistani and Turkish forces had a presence in the region and were providing support to Saudi Arabia, while Saudi forces were currently carrying out combat operations. He also said Pakistan was involved in reconnaissance and would provide whatever assistance Saudi Arabia required.

Houthi Attacks Escalate

The developments come amid a sharp escalation in Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.

On Wednesday, Saudi authorities said Houthi missile and drone attacks targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and Abha International Airport in southern Saudi Arabia. The attacks killed three people and injured dozens, according to reports cited by The Indian Express. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed the group had used missiles or drones to attack the airports.

The Houthis have continued to threaten Saudi targets as fighting has intensified in Yemen. Saudi-backed forces have launched a counteroffensive against the Iran-backed group, with fighting reported around strategic areas along Yemen’s Red Sea coast.

On Thursday, explosions were also reported in Riyadh, including around King Khalid International Airport, amid further Houthi claims of attacks on the Saudi capital.

The activation of the Mecca pact and the reported presence of Pakistani military assets in Saudi Arabia mark a significant development in the regional conflict. While Islamabad has stressed that its commitment is defensive, the reported use of PAF aircraft against Houthi targets, if confirmed, would represent a deeper military role for Pakistan in the Yemen conflict.

For now, however, the reported PAF strikes remain disputed, with Pakistani authorities explicitly denying that its fighter aircraft are being used against the Houthis.

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