Lahore, April 11 A Pakistani military contingent, consisting of approximately 13,000 soldiers and 10 to 18 jets, has arrived in Saudi Arabia as part of a joint strategic defense agreement signed last year, the Gulf Kingdom announced on Saturday.
The deployment of the military contingent 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 Arabia's Ministry of Defence.
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, it added.
A Pakistani government official also confirmed sending troops and jets to Saudi Arabia as part of the two countries' strategic defense agreement, under which any attack on one country would be considered an attack on another.
Expert on international affairs Mohammad Mehdi told