LAHORE: A Pakistani military contingent comprising around 13,000 soldiers and 10 to 18 jets has reached Saudi Arabia as part of a joint strategic defence agreement signed last year, the Gulf Kingdom said on Saturday. The military contingent’s deployment to King Abdulaziz Air Base in the Eastern Sector includes fighter jets and support aircraft from the Pakistan Air Force, according to a statement from Saudi defence ministry. The deployment aimed to enhance joint military coordination, improve operational readiness between the armed forces of the two countries, and support security and stability at regional and international levels. A Pakistan govt official also confirmed sending troops and jets to Saudi as part of the two countries’ strategic defence agreement, under which any attack on one country would be considered an attack on another.
