Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan Plan Urgent Talks Amid Yemen Fighting.

Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan are planning an urgent meeting of their military chiefs to discuss ways to support Saudi Arabia amid escalating fighting involving the Houthis in Yemen.

The announcement followed a meeting in New York on Thursday between Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

The three countries signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement on August 7 to strengthen collective defence and expand military cooperation. Under the agreement, an armed attack against one of the three countries is considered an attack against all three.

The countries have since begun establishing mechanisms to implement the agreement. Their foreign and defence ministers, along with military chiefs, met in Istanbul on August 31 and agreed to establish a secretariat in Saudi Arabia and deepen military cooperation.

The latest meeting of the foreign ministers condemned attacks targeting Mecca and civilian and economic facilities in Saudi Arabia. They also affirmed Saudi Arabia’s right to defend itself under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.

The talks came as Saudi Arabia reported a new wave of missile attacks from Yemen. Saudi authorities said air defences intercepted six ballistic missiles launched towards Taif and Yanbu on Thursday.

The Houthis separately claimed responsibility for missile and drone attacks targeting a “sensitive target” in Riyadh and Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu.

France has also offered defensive assistance to Saudi Arabia. French President Emmanuel Macron said Paris would send military personnel, radars and defence systems to help protect Yanbu.

Heavy fighting reported in Yemen

The cross-border attacks have coincided with some of the heaviest fighting inside Yemen since hostilities intensified.

According to an AFP tally, at least 150 Houthi fighters and government-aligned forces were killed during 24 hours of fighting. The reported casualties included 98 fighters from the government side and 52 Houthis.

Clashes were reported around the Kahboub Mountains and in areas between Lahj and Taiz overlooking the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

The Houthis have also expanded their presence along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, including capturing the port city of Mocha and several strategic islands. Their gains have strengthened their position around Bab al-Mandeb, a major global shipping route through which about 12 percent of global trade normally passes.

Yemen’s internationally recognised government has called for greater international involvement, warning at the United Nations General Assembly that Houthi control around the strategic strait could pose wider economic risks.

The renewed fighting has also caused a major displacement crisis. The UNHCR says more than 230,000 people have been forced from their homes since the beginning of September, adding to an estimated 5.2 million people already internally displaced across Yemen.

The agency said displaced families urgently need shelter, food, clean water, healthcare and protection, while host communities and displacement centres are becoming increasingly overstretched.

• Tweet
• Share
• Share
• Share
• Share