Pakistan Air Force fighter jets are reportedly taking part in strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen after Saudi Arabia activated the Makkah Accord.

Days after Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey activated their trilateral military pact, called Makkah Accord, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) participated in strikes against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, the New York Times reported Thursday.

“A senior Pakistani military official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss operational matters, said on Wednesday that Pakistan Air Force fighter jets were being used in strikes against the Houthis,” the report said.

“Col David O Smith, a former US Army attache in Pakistan and a former top analyst for the Defense Intelligence Agency, said on Wednesday that, while he does not have access to classified figures, the consensus among analysts is that about 8,000 Pakistani troops have been deployed to Saudi Arabia,” it said.

“He said the troops include a contingent from the Pakistan Air Force and the Army Air Defense, and that they would likely be used to help secure oil infrastructure. Colonel Smith added the Pakistani soldiers are unlikely to engage in direct combat with the Houthis, as Islamabad walks a fine line to preserve its relationship with Iran,” the newspaper reported.

“A second Pakistani official who also spoke on condition of anonymity said Pakistan’s role in the conflict is expected to focus on degrading Houthis’ drone and missile threats through air support, rather than a ground offensive in Yemen. Pakistan’s military declined to comment,” the report said.

What is Makkah Accord

The Makkah Accord was signed in August by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

On October 5, Al Jazeera and other media outlets in the Gulf region reported that the three countries had agreed to activate “deterrence measures” under the mutual defence pact and rapidly deploy forces to Saudi Arabia to counter attacks by the Houthis who have targeted the kingdom alongside their offensive against Yemen’s government.

The New York Times detailed the PAF involvement in a report on how “residents in Saudi Arabia’s capital reported multiple explosions on Thursday, a day after the Saudi authorities said that Houthi strikes on two major airports in the country had killed three people and injured dozens more”.

“The Saudi government said on Wednesday that the Houthi strikes hit the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and the Abha International Airport in southern Saudi Arabia. Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesman, said that the militia had attacked both airports with missiles or drones,” the New York Times reported.