ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday condemned recent Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia, particularly those that targeted the country’s airports, stressing that Pakistan’s commitment to Riyadh’s security in line with the Makkah defense pact remains “resolute.”

The Iran-backed Houthi rebels have intensified their attacks against Saudi Arabia this week. The rebels attacked the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and Abha International Airport in separate attacks on Oct. 6 and 7, the Saudi civil aviation authority said. Three people were killed and 36 injured in the attacks.

The attacks came amid intensifying fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni forces, with the Saudi-led coalition launching retaliatory strikes against Houthi military targets in Yemen.

In a statement on his X account, Sharif condemned the repeated “terrorist attacks” by the Houthis, commending the vigilance and professionalism of the Saudi armed forces and the coalition forces in Yemen for protecting the lives of the innocent.

“In line with the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, and recent decisions taken by its Strategic Political and Defense Committee, our commitment to the Kingdom’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and security is resolute,” the Pakistani prime minister wrote.

“We also fully support Saudi Arabia’s legitimate right to defend its people and protect its cities and vital infrastructure.”

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye signed a trilateral defense pact, known as the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, in August. The pact stipulates that an attack against any one of the three countries will be considered an attack against all of them.

All three nations have clarified that the pact is purely defensive in nature and aims to strengthen regional security and promote peace as the United States-Iran conflict spikes tensions.

Sharif demanded the Houthi militia immediately cease its attacks against the Kingdom, vowing that Pakistan stands “shoulder to shoulder” with Saudi Arabia in the face of these threats.

Pakistan has warned that the defense pact could become operational in the event of continued aggression against the Kingdom. Pakistani military spokesman Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry confirmed the deployment of Pakistani forces to Saudi Arabia under the Makkah pact this week in an interview with CNN. He said Pakistani soldiers were discharging duties in the Kingdom in “multiple capabilities and domains.”

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia also signed a separate bilateral defense agreement in September 2025, formalizing decades of security cooperation. Islamabad deployed 8,000 troops, a squadron of fighter jets and ​an air defense system to Saudi Arabia under the pact, ramping up military cooperation with Riyadh, Reuters reported in May as regional tensions surged following the US-Iran war.