The Foreign Office said Pakistani troops are part of the multinational military exercise being staged by Saudi Arabia.
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Thousands of soldiers from 20 countries started arriving in the Saudi city of Hafr Al-Batin on Sunday and Monday (February 14-15) ahead of what organisers said will be the largest military exercises in the region.
“It is in this backdrop that Pakistan is participating in a multi-national exercise on counter-terrorism being held in Saudi Arabia”, the Spokesman said.
As well as the GCC countries, Jordan, Egypt, Senegal, Sudan, the Maldives, Morocco, Pakistan, Chad, Tunisia, Comoros Islands, Djibouti, Malaysia, Mauritania and Mauritius are also involved.
Pakistan has sent its troops to participate in military exercises (North Thunder) in Saudi Arabia.
Each of these moves has raised concerns that Malaysia may be getting directly involved in military operations by Saudi-led coalition against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, requiring Malaysian officials to respond that this is in fact not the case. No American or Western countries were invited, SPA said.
“Yemen is in the south”, he said, debunking social media reports that Malaysian armed forces were part of a Saudi military campaign against that Arab country.
The drill in the gulf area was the first for the Malaysian armed forces personnel and would provide them with experience necessary for the future.
In December, Saudi Arabia announced it was forming a 34-nation anti-terrorism coalition made up of mainly Islamic countries, including Malaysia.
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Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said during his recent trip to the Middle East, his Saudi counterpart informed him that the alliance the country was forming had four elements.
