Regional powers condemn Houthi attacks on Riyadh airport and back Saudi Arabia

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Saudi authorities said another attack on the city’s international airport on Sunday killed one person and injured nearly a dozen. Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia condemned the attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militants and pledged support for the kingdom.

Regional group demands attacks stop

The Sunday attack followed a strike a day earlier that the Houthis claimed responsibility for, which killed 13 people and injured more than 300.

In a joint statement issued on Sunday, the four countries, known as the R4, described the attacks as a “dangerous escalation that cannot be justified or accepted under any pretext”.

The group reiterated its solidarity with Saudi Arabia and backed all legitimate action by the kingdom to respond to the attacks, deter threats and stop further strikes.

It said the Houthi militia bore full responsibility for the attacks’ consequences, including any repercussions threatening peace and security internationally and across the region. The countries demanded that the attacks cease immediately, without conditions.

Defence agreement awaits Turkish ratification

Turkey, a NATO member, and Pakistan, which possesses nuclear weapons, signed a joint defence agreement with Saudi Arabia in August. Its terms treat an attack against any signatory as an attack against all of them.

Last week, the countries announced an agreement to fulfil their collective defence obligations and arrange the swift deployment of forces and capabilities to Saudi Arabia in response to the Houthi attacks.

Turkey’s assistance to the kingdom has so far been predominantly bilateral because the Turkish parliament has not formally ratified the pact. The agreement is expected to go before parliament within the coming days.

Ankara outlines limits on assistance

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Thursday that Turkey was examining ways to assist Saudi Arabia, while excluding the deployment of troops or participation by Turkey in offensive operations.

Officials had told Reuters the previous day that Ankara was providing Riyadh primarily with technical and defensive assistance.

Turkey, whose army ranks second in size within NATO and which has a strong defence industry, has supplied defence equipment to Saudi Arabia. It has also agreed to participate in a coalition led by Saudi Arabia to safeguard navigation in the Red Sea.