Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan have signed a mutual defense agreement, a move that comes amid increased attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Saudi-linked targets and a recent Israeli strike in southern Lebanon.
The pact, signed Friday in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, stipulates that an armed attack against any of the three signatory nations will be considered an attack against all of them. The agreement was signed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
"The Agreement is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression," Pakistan’s foreign ministry stated. The deal was formed as Saudi Arabia, which has faced attacks on its critical infrastructure and oil facilities, seeks to diversify its defense partnerships.
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In Yemen, Iran-backed Houthi rebels are reported to have launched attacks on Marib province Friday morning. A military official in Marib stated that missiles were fired from west of the Yemeni capital, Sanaa. Local residents reported that Houthi missiles struck multiple areas within the city, though the Houthis have not claimed responsibility for these specific attacks. The rebel group previously struck the Najran region in southwestern Saudi Arabia on Thursday, an attack confirmed by the Saudi-led Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen. The coalition stated that 11 civilians were wounded in the Najran attack, including a woman and a child who sustained second-degree burns. The Houthis have indicated they will continue to target gatherings of Saudi-backed forces.
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Meanwhile, the Lebanese army reported that a soldier was lightly wounded Friday while operating a bulldozer in the southern village of Mansouri. The village had been subjected to Israeli shelling earlier in the week. The Israeli military has not yet commented on the incident. This follows Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, which the Israeli army described as a response to a Hezbollah violation of the ceasefire. It marked the first such warning issued by Israel in Lebanon in several weeks.
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