Pakistan has deployed between 30,000 and 40,000 troops to Saudi Arabia to help defend the kingdom’s land borders and intercept drones and missiles amid escalating attacks by Iran-backed Houthi forces, according to a Pakistani official cited by Reuters.
The official said Pakistan has not decided to send its troops into Yemen to take part in combat operations. The Pakistani forces arrived in waves beginning last year and after the recent escalation, according to the official.
The deployment comes as Saudi Arabia is preparing a potential military offensive against the Houthis in Yemen, with options ranging from a limited operation around the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait to a broader offensive involving several fronts. Reuters reported that the operation could begin within weeks and would rely primarily on Yemeni forces backed by Saudi air power.
More than 100,000 Yemeni fighters could be mobilized for the operation, depending on its scale, according to officials familiar with the preparations. Riyadh’s main objective is reportedly to reverse recent Houthi advances along Yemen’s western coast and regain control of areas around Bab al-Mandeb, a key maritime chokepoint linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and wider shipping routes between Europe and Asia.
Pakistan has also provided military equipment and advisers to Saudi-backed forces. A Pakistani official said Islamabad sent four cargo aircraft to Aden last month carrying air-defense systems, light artillery, drones and counter-drone equipment. Pakistani military advisers are also in Saudi Arabia alongside their counterparts, supporting Yemeni forces, according to Pakistani officials cited by Reuters.
Turkey has also provided military support, while France has announced plans to send defensive systems and troops to Saudi Arabia to help protect the Red Sea port of Yanbu. The United States is providing intelligence, military advisers and targeting information to support Saudi air operations, but its direct military involvement remains limited.
Saudi Arabia is particularly concerned about protecting its oil facilities and other critical infrastructure from Houthi missile and drone attacks. The renewed confrontation has also increased concerns over maritime security at Bab al-Mandeb, especially as the Strait of Hormuz has been heavily disrupted by the broader regional conflict.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement on August 7, under which an armed attack on one member is treated as an attack on all three. Their military chiefs met in Riyadh on September 25 and condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on October 2 that the three countries are expected to hold an emergency meeting in Riyadh next week to discuss Iran’s suggestion of engaging the Houthis politically. Dar described the proposal as a possible alternative to military action rather than a formal Iranian offer.
Saudi Arabia has fought the Houthis since 2015 as part of an Arab coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government. A 2022 truce largely reduced fighting for several years, but the conflict has escalated again this year as Houthi attacks and territorial advances have increased, raising renewed concerns over regional security and international shipping.
