Pakistan is sending additional military equipment — including artillery, drones and counter-drone systems — to Saudi Arabia, dpa sources report. Existing Pakistani forces in the kingdom are being repositioned to support potential large-scale defence operations. Islamabad warned that Pakistan and Turkey could intervene if the Iran-backed Houthi militia attempts to blockade the Bab al-Mandab shipping lane, and Major General Ahmed Sharif pledged to defend Saudi Arabia.
Pakistan Sends Artillery and Drones to Saudi Arabia as Yemen Conflict Intensifies
FILE PHOTO - Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud (R) meets with Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif. (is associated with: «Sources: Pakistan sending more military equipment to Saudi Arabia») -/SPA/dpa
Sources in Islamabad told dpa that Pakistan is dispatching additional military equipment to its ally Saudi Arabia amid a sharp escalation in the Yemen conflict. Officials said some materiel already stationed in the kingdom is being repositioned to support possible large-scale defence operations.
What Is Being Sent
According to the sources, the new shipments reportedly include artillery systems, unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) and counter-drone defence systems. The sources did not specify whether the newly arriving equipment will be deployed immediately.
Pakistani Forces In Saudi Arabia
Pakistani units — including an air-defence system, fighter jets and ground troops — are already based in Saudi Arabia under a long-standing military partnership. Since early August, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have been part of a trilateral defence pact with Turkey that treats an armed attack on any member as an attack on all three states.
Warnings and Possible Escalation
Intelligence sources in Pakistan warned that both Pakistan and Turkey could become "active" in the fighting if the Iran-backed Houthi militia attempted to blockade the strategically important Bab al-Mandab shipping lane.
"Our navy will be in action if the Houthis make an attempt to choke the Bab al-Mandab strait," a Pakistani intelligence source told dpa on condition of anonymity. "Turks will come too."
Pakistan's military spokesman, Major General Ahmed Sharif, said on Friday that his country "would go to any extent to defend Saudi Arabia," though he did not provide further operational details.
Context
The Iran-backed Houthi militia seized parts of Yemen's western coastline in a rapid offensive last week, gaining access to the crucial Bab al-Mandab strait at the entrance to the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia has faced renewed attacks from its southern neighbour since the latest escalation in the Yemen war, raising concerns about threats to international shipping and wider regional involvement.
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