Pakistan confirms troops in Saudi Arabia, denies PAF jets used against Houthis

Pakistan’s military spokesman Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry confirmed that "the forces of Pakistan are already there" in Saudi Arabia after the Mecca defense pact was activated, while the Information Ministry rejected a New York Times report that PAF aircraft were being used against the Houthis as "fake and fabricated."

Hilal Times Editorial DeskOctober 08, 2026, 01:23 PMUpdated: October 08, 2026, 05:13 PM

Pakistan confirms troops in Saudi Arabia, denies PAF jets used against Houthis

Pakistan has officially confirmed that it has troops in Saudi Arabia. "The forces of Pakistan are already there. That I can share with you," military spokesman Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry told CNN, without disclosing their number or capabilities.

Pakistani military spokesman Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry (archive)

At an emergency meeting in Riyadh on Monday, the top committee of the Mecca mutual defense pact agreed to deploy Pakistani and Turkish forces to the kingdom, which is backing a Yemeni government ground offensive against the Houthis — the first time the pact signed in August has been put into force.

Abha International Airport, targeted by Houthi missiles (archive)

The Houthis have intensified ballistic missile attacks on Saudi airports, killing two people and wounding 28 at Abha on Tuesday and killing one and wounding eight at Riyadh’s King Khalid Airport on Wednesday. Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has said Pakistan and Türkiye have "a presence in the theater" but that only Saudi forces are engaged in combat.

Islamabad denies PAF jets used against Houthis

Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Thursday rejected an Oct. 7 New York Times report, citing an unnamed source, that Pakistan Air Force fighter jets were being used against the Houthis. "The NYT story attributing the employment of PAF aircraft against Houthis is fake and fabricated," the ministry said.

The ministry again urged international media to avoid speculative reporting on the employment of Pakistan’s military forces under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, saying relevant authorities would provide details if any deployment or military action were undertaken. Chaudhry has said Pakistani troops have been in Saudi Arabia "for decades" across several domains and that the alliance is "defensive in nature."

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