Yemeni government claims gains near Bab el-Mandeb as Houthis hit Saudi airports Kenya confirms first Ebola death, imported from Congo Two killed as about 650 Ukrainian drones target Moscow region Gulf oil flows recover as Iran keeps attacking tankers French bond selloff weighs on euro as Le Pen unveils spending cuts Former BND chief Hanning arrested on suspicion of selling secrets French school protests reach new scale as unions join and Macron calls crisis meeting Drones sink cargo ship in Bulgaria's Black Sea zone as attacks on shipping widen Fighting spreads in Tigray as Ethiopia-Eritrea war risk grows WHO rates plague risk low as Russia denies outbreak AfD takes Saxony-Anhalt parliament presidency with four unexplained extra votes Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey activate Mecca defence pact over Houthi attacks Seventh arrest over Fairford plot as US and UK differ on the threat Kremlin threatens retaliation after Lithuania moves to lift nuclear weapons ban Bolsonaro family gains strength as Lula retools for Brazil runoff Opposition leaders briefly detained at march on Indian Election Commission Zelensky warns of massive Russian attack as strikes hit Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and Kyiv Germany and France call for EU tool to close market to China, Beijing objects US Treasury yields ease from 2002 highs as oil dips South Korea probes AI use in bank hacks after data exposed at seven firms Mali army retakes Kidal as Tuareg rebels withdraw New York declares disaster emergency as US measles cases near 3,900 Floods in Dakar kill residents Spain re-approves housing decrees and lifts Puigdemont warrant as campaign begins Paramount completes $111bn takeover of Warner Bros Discovery Trump approves firing-squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan S&P 500 hits record high as AI chip stocks rally Separatist Parti Québécois wins Quebec election, promises independence referendum OpenAI apologises to Australian parliament over agent access to government sites Trump's remark that Iran could 'take out' Los Angeles draws outrage in California Reflection AI and Mistral unveil new models to compete with Chinese rivals South Korea prepares response to force North Korean apology over DMZ blast DeepSeek to raise at least $12bn in Tencent-backed round EU Commission proposes 15-year probation and fewer vetoes for new members Israel puts army on alert and threatens Gaza ahead of October 7 anniversary Gaza ceasefire a year on: Trump plan stalled, UN chief says truce falls short France test-fires new M51.3 nuclear missile UK threatens to expel Israeli diplomats if Jerusalem consulate closes Francis Halzen wins 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics for neutrino work US envoy meets Sudan army chief in Egypt in bid to end the war Japan's 10-year yield tops 3% as fiscal fears grow UK weighs tariffs on Chinese EVs Kosovo deadlock deepens as protests over Specialist Chambers law turn violent Pakistan PM invites Imran Khan's party to talks, urges end to march Google ordered to halt Finland data centre work India-US trade talks stall again Disney and FCC dispute over broadcast licences moves to court Yemeni government claims gains near Bab el-Mandeb as Houthis hit Saudi airports Kenya confirms first Ebola death, imported from Congo Two killed as about 650 Ukrainian drones target Moscow region Gulf oil flows recover as Iran keeps attacking tankers French bond selloff weighs on euro as Le Pen unveils spending cuts Former BND chief Hanning arrested on suspicion of selling secrets French school protests reach new scale as unions join and Macron calls crisis meeting Drones sink cargo ship in Bulgaria's Black Sea zone as attacks on shipping widen Fighting spreads in Tigray as Ethiopia-Eritrea war risk grows WHO rates plague risk low as Russia denies outbreak AfD takes Saxony-Anhalt parliament presidency with four unexplained extra votes Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey activate Mecca defence pact over Houthi attacks Seventh arrest over Fairford plot as US and UK differ on the threat Kremlin threatens retaliation after Lithuania moves to lift nuclear weapons ban Bolsonaro family gains strength as Lula retools for Brazil runoff Opposition leaders briefly detained at march on Indian Election Commission Zelensky warns of massive Russian attack as strikes hit Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and Kyiv Germany and France call for EU tool to close market to China, Beijing objects US Treasury yields ease from 2002 highs as oil dips South Korea probes AI use in bank hacks after data exposed at seven firms Mali army retakes Kidal as Tuareg rebels withdraw New York declares disaster emergency as US measles cases near 3,900 Floods in Dakar kill residents Spain re-approves housing decrees and lifts Puigdemont warrant as campaign begins Paramount completes $111bn takeover of Warner Bros Discovery Trump approves firing-squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan S&P 500 hits record high as AI chip stocks rally Separatist Parti Québécois wins Quebec election, promises independence referendum OpenAI apologises to Australian parliament over agent access to government sites Trump's remark that Iran could 'take out' Los Angeles draws outrage in California Reflection AI and Mistral unveil new models to compete with Chinese rivals South Korea prepares response to force North Korean apology over DMZ blast DeepSeek to raise at least $12bn in Tencent-backed round EU Commission proposes 15-year probation and fewer vetoes for new members Israel puts army on alert and threatens Gaza ahead of October 7 anniversary Gaza ceasefire a year on: Trump plan stalled, UN chief says truce falls short France test-fires new M51.3 nuclear missile UK threatens to expel Israeli diplomats if Jerusalem consulate closes Francis Halzen wins 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics for neutrino work US envoy meets Sudan army chief in Egypt in bid to end the war Japan's 10-year yield tops 3% as fiscal fears grow UK weighs tariffs on Chinese EVs Kosovo deadlock deepens as protests over Specialist Chambers law turn violent Pakistan PM invites Imran Khan's party to talks, urges end to march Google ordered to halt Finland data centre work India-US trade talks stall again Disney and FCC dispute over broadcast licences moves to court

Symbolic image: Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey activate Mecca defence pact over Houthi attacks

Symbolic image

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey activate Mecca defence pact over Houthi attacks

8 sources

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey invoked their Mecca defence pact on Monday, citing Houthi attacks. Neither the size nor the role of the forces has been disclosed.

The pact's committee met in emergency session in Riyadh on Monday, 5 October, and decided to implement its collective defence commitments immediately, including rapid deployment of agreed forces in line with national legislation. It is the first time the pact, signed on 7 August, has been invoked. The step follows Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia. According to the Saudi civil aviation authority, strikes on the airports of Jizan and Najran on Monday evening caused three minor injuries.

Limits on Turkey's role

Turkey's parliament has not ratified the pact, and the Financial Times says the constitution bars deployment until it does. A senior Turkish official told Middle East Eye, as relayed by TASS, that Ankara plans a limited contingent in the coming weeks and no large-scale intervention in Yemen. Analysts quoted by The National expect advisers, air defence and intelligence support.

Pakistan's supporting role

Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said Pakistani and Turkish forces are supporting, including with reconnaissance, while Saudi forces do the fighting. Pakistan's information ministry calls operational details confidential. According to Reuters, as cited by FAZ, a Pakistani official said 30,000 to 40,000 Pakistani soldiers are already stationed in Saudi Arabia.

Fighting in Yemen

Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces recaptured the port city of Mocha on Monday, a military source told the Saba news agency. A coalition spokesperson said 100 fighter jets support the counteroffensive. The Financial Times reports that Washington declined Riyadh's request for sustained air strikes on the Houthis.