Mecca Defense Alliance to deploy troops in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye on Monday agreed to immediately deploy forces and military capabilities in the Kingdom under the Mecca Defense Alliance.

The decision was taken at an emergency meeting of the alliance.

The meeting came soon after Saudi Arabia accused the Houthis of targeting Islam’s two holiest cities.

Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman said the meeting demonstrated the three countries’ solidarity and unified position in confronting attacks against the Kingdom and the holy sites, Arab News reports.

“The emergency meeting of the Strategic Political and Defense Committee of the Mecca Defense Alliance affirms the solidarity and unified stance of our countries in confronting the sinful aggressions that targeted the Kingdom and the Holy Sanctuaries, activating collective deterrence against these aggressions, and against all those standing behind them within the framework of the Mecca Defense Alliance,” Khalid bin Salman posted on X.

The three nations also condemned an attempt to target Mecca and Madinah, as well as ongoing attacks targeting cities, civilian facilities and economic installations in Saudi Arabia.

They reaffirmed their “categorical rejection” of any aggression or threat to the Kingdom’s security and territorial integrity.

At the meeting of the Strategic Political and Defense Committee of the Mecca Defense Alliance, Lt Gen (retd) Numan Mahmud of Pakistan was appointed its first secretary-general for a three-year term.

The three countries reaffirmed that the security of each member state is an indivisible part of their collective security.