Islamabad: Pakistan will go to "any extent" to defend Saudi Arabia, a top army general has said, asserting that Islamabad's commitment to the Gulf Kingdom's security is "unconditional".

"Pakistan fully stands with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, both diplomatically and physically. And I would like to underscore here the word physically,” Pakistan Army spokesman Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry told Arab News in an interview on Thursday.

"We will go to any extent…to any extent as asked and required by our Saudi brothers,” said Sharif.

His remarks came amid an ongoing escalation involving Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthis, who carried out attacks on Saudi territory in recent days and established control over the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement last month, under which an armed attack on any of the three countries would be considered an attack on all.

"Our commitment to Saudi security is unconditional," Chaudhry said, attributing it to the "deep-rooted, historical and unbreakable bond" between the peoples and leaderships of the two countries.

The general's remarks came amid questions about whether Pakistan would assist Saudi Arabia against Houthis under the Makkah pact.

Pakistan “remained not only committed, but we are already there for the protection of Haramain Sharifain and the kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” the army spokesman said, referring to Islam's holiest cities of Mecca and Medina in the Gulf country.

Chaudhry's remarks came after Saudi authorities claimed that their air defences had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca city.

The drone was destroyed before it entered Mecca's prohibited airspace, according to Saudi authorities. The Houthis, however, denied targeting Mecca or any Islamic holy site.

Earlier this week, Chaudhry had described the Makkah pact as “defensive” and intended for “collective deterrence”, saying it had “no regional aspirations”.

Asked about a phone call between Pakistan Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday, Chaudhry told Arab News that the country's politico-military leadership remained in continuous contact with Saudi leadership.

He said Islamabad was also consulting regional governments to seek “a negotiated and peaceful outcome” to the wider crisis.

PTI