Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye agreed yesterday to move immediately to implement their collective defence commitments and ensure the ‘rapid deployment’ of agreed military forces and capabilities in Saudi Arabia, the three countries said in a joint statement shared by Pakistan’s foreign ministry.
The decision was taken at an emergency meeting of the Mecca Defence Alliance in Riyadh and would be carried out under ‘approved arrangements’ and the national laws of the three countries, the statement said.
The meeting ‘reaffirmed the solidarity and unity of our countries in confronting the heinous attacks against the kingdom and the holy sites,” the Saudi defence minister said on X.
The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthis said on Thursday that the Iran-aligned group had attacked a power distribution station in the Saudi city of Medina which supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque, one of Islam’s holiest sites.
The three countries signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in August, under which an armed attack on one member is considered an attack on all.
The agreement announced at the time gave no specifics on the military commitments or defence obligations of each country.
Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad Al Alimi announced yesterday the launch of a military operation dubbed ‘Dawn of Yemen’, aimed at restoring state institutions, liberating the capital Sana’a and ending the Houthi militia’s control.
“The ‘Dawn of Yemen’ operation has been launched to restore state institutions, liberate the capital Sanaa and end the coup by the terrorist Houthi militias,” he said in a post on X.
“By God’s help, and with the will of our people, the bravery of our armed forces and all military formations, and the support of our brethren and friends, Yemen will move towards a new dawn of freedom, peace and stability,” he added.
The Yemeni government forces announced the launch of a ‘strategic offensive on Sana’a.’
As the operations began, Yemeni military sources confirmed that the Yemeni forces had launched an all-out campaign to retake Houthi-held areas. They said the Giants Brigades and Nation’s Shield Forces had advanced in areas surrounding Bab Al Mandeb in southwestern Yemen.
“The forces were engaged in fierce fighting with the Houthis in Dhubab near Bab Al Mandeb and were close to completely cutting off the group’s supply route to the area,” the sources added.
Later yesterday, Yemeni Armed Forces spokesman Colonel Majed Al Nuzaili announced that the Giants Brigades and Nation’s Shield Forces had taken control of the Bab Al Mandeb area and Dhubab Airport as part of the ‘Dawn of Yemen’ operation. He said the road between Dhubab and Mokha had been cut off and was under effective fire control.
Meanwhile, Yemeni military sources said government forces were continuing their advance towards the city of Mokha and north along the western coast, backed by air cover.
&uuid=(email))