Pakistan has deployed 8,000 troops, a squadron of fighter jets and an air defense system to Saudi Arabia under a mutual defense agreement, Reuters reported.
Islamabad is stepping up military cooperation with Riyadh despite being a key broker in the Iran war.
The deployment was confirmed by three security officials and two government sources, all of whom described it as a significant, combat-ready force designed to bolster Saudi Arabia's military if the kingdom comes under further attack.
The full terms of the defense agreement, signed last year, are confidential, but both sides said it required Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to defend each other in the event of an attack. Defense Minister Khawaja Asif had previously suggested that it placed Saudi Arabia under Pakistan's nuclear umbrella.
The sources said that in early April, Pakistan sent a squadron of about 16 aircraft, mostly JF-17 fighter jets, co-produced with China, to Saudi Arabia. Two of the security officials said Pakistan had also sent two squadrons of drones. All five sources said the deployment includes about 8,000 troops, with a promise to send more if needed, as well as a Chinese HQ-9 air defense system. The equipment is operated by Pakistani personnel and financed by Saudi Arabia. The military and air force personnel deployed during the Iran conflict will have a primarily advisory and training role, said two of the security officials, who said they had seen exchanges between the two countries and documents on the deployment of military assets. The deployed troops are in addition to thousands of Pakistani combat troops already deployed to the kingdom under previous agreements, the three security officials said. One of the government sources who saw The text of the confidential defense agreement said it would allow up to 80,000 Pakistani troops to be deployed to Saudi Arabia to help secure the kingdom's borders alongside Saudi forces.
Two of the security officials said the agreement also included the deployment of Pakistani warships.
The scale and composition of the deployment - fighter jets, air defenses and thousands of troops - meant Pakistan was sending much more than a symbolic or advisory mission, the sources said.
Pakistan had earlier been reported to have sent aircraft to Saudi Arabia after Iran struck key energy infrastructure and killed a Saudi national. That raised concerns that the Gulf kingdom could retaliate severely and widen the conflict.
This came before Islamabad emerged as the main mediator in the war, helping to broker a ceasefire between Washington and Tehran that has held for the past six weeks. Islamabad hosted the only round of peace talks between the United States and Iran so far and had planned further rounds that both sides canceled.
Saudi Arabia has since been reported to have carried out multiple covert strikes against Iran in response to attacks in the kingdom.
Pakistan has long provided military support to Saudi Arabia, including training and advice, and Riyadh has repeatedly stepped in to shore up Islamabad financially during periods of economic stress.