PNN – Reuters, citing a Pakistani official, reported that between 30,000 and 40,000 of the country’s troops have been deployed to Saudi Arabia.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network citing Afghanistan’s AVA News Agency; news sources have reported that Pakistan has deployed approximately 40,000 troops to Saudi Arabia.
Reuters reported, citing a Pakistani official that Islamabad has deployed between 30,000 and 40,000 military personnel to Saudi Arabia—forces intended to protect the country’s borders and assist in countering missile and drone attacks.
According to a Reuters report, these forces have arrived in Saudi Arabia in several stages since last year, with some deployed following the recent escalation of hostilities.
An unnamed Pakistani official told Reuters that Pakistani troops have been deployed to Saudi Arabia to defend the country’s land borders and assist in intercepting missiles and drones.
The official announced that Pakistan has not yet made a decision to deploy its military forces to Yemen in a combat role.
This report comes as Saudi Arabia has requested defense assistance from several allied nations to counter missile and drone attacks by the Houthis and to protect its infrastructure and oil facilities.
Reuters has reported that Pakistan and Turkey have also supplied Saudi Arabia with military equipment.
According to a Reuters report, Pakistan sent four cargo planes to Aden last month carrying equipment—including air defense systems, light artillery, drones, and anti-drone systems.
Pakistani military advisors are also working alongside Saudi forces to support Yemeni troops.
These developments follow the signing of the Mecca joint defense agreement among Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey in August.
A recent Reuters report also indicates Saudi Arabia’s plans for a potential operation against Yemeni armed forces—an operation that could aim to retake coastal areas surrounding the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
According to the report, more than 100,000 Yemeni troops could participate in this operation, though the exact start date remains unclear.
According to observers, the increase in Pakistan’s military presence in Saudi Arabia should be viewed in the context of expanding defense cooperation between the two nations and the intensifying threat of missile and drone attacks in the region.
However, a Reuters report draws a distinction between deploying troops to Saudi Arabia for defensive missions and sending forces to Yemen for combat operations; thus, the deployment of 30,000 to 40,000 Pakistani troops to Saudi Arabia does not signify Pakistan’s formal entry into the ground war in Yemen.