Turkish and Pakistani officials told AP on Wednesday, 25 Shahrivar that Saudi Arabia has not asked these two countries for help, as attacks by the Houthis intensify.

The Houthis’ attacks on key oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia are considered the first test of a new defense pact among Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan.

One Turkish official said efforts to “institutionalize” this alliance must be completed before the defense pact becomes operational.

At the same time as condemning the Houthis’ attempts to carry out a drone attack on Mecca, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said his country and Saudi Arabia are “steadfast and shoulder to shoulder” standing alongside one another. Turkey’s foreign minister also announced solidarity, saying no country can “remain indifferent” to this issue.

The Houthis denied targeting Mecca. Mahdi al-Mashat, a Houthi leader, called Saudi Arabia’s statements in this regard a “desperate attempt to mobilize the public.”