- As ISIS members say they want to ‘sack the holy city’, Riyadh calls in military assistance from its close allies to shore up the porous 500-mile border
- Pro-ISIS graffiti begins to appear around the kingdom while residents in parts of Riyadh woke in June to find jihadist leaflets on their car windscreens
Saudi Arabia has deployed thousands of troops from Egypt and Pakistan along its frontier with Iraq, amid fears of invasion by the al-Qaeda splinter group that has declared a radical Islamic state across the border.
Panicked by the advance of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), Riyadh has taken the drastic step of calling in military assistance from its close allies to shore up the porous 500-mile border, Gulf security sources said.
Saudi Arabia spent an estimated £35 billion on defence last year, leapfrogging Britain as the world’s fourth-largest military spender. This massive outlay highlights Riyadh’s unease about whether its defences would hold if the jihadists launched a direct attack.
Uppermost among Saudi concerns is the defence of Mecca. Members of ISIS have made it clear online that they want to sack the holy city. “The kingdom is calling in favours from Egypt and Pakistan,” an adviser to the Saudi government said. “No one is certain what Isis has planned, but it’s clear a group like this will target Mecca if it can. We expect them to run out of steam, but no one is taking any chances.”
ISIS, which now calls itself Islamic State, seized large swathes of northern and western Iraq in a lightning military offensive in May and June, triggering panic throughout the region. The group has since declared an Islamic state, or caliphate, launching a reign of terror on land that it controls in Iraq and Syria.
Saudi Arabia has been strengthening its border defences since the crisis began. King Abdullah promised that “all necessary measures” would be taken to defend the world’s largest oil producer and 30,000 extra troops were deployed along the Iraqi frontier in July. It now appears, however, that many of those soldiers were foreign.
With ISIS consolidating its gains, its advance has slowed and the threat of a cross-border attack has receded for now. However, Theodore Karasik, of the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis in Dubai, said, “No one has taken any initiative to root these guys out. Once they have consolidated, there is a danger they will try to go back into the kingdom.”
Rather than a cross-border assault, however, the greater danger appears to be an attack from within. Saudi Arabia fought a decade-long struggle against al-Qaeda after 9/11 and there are signs that a fresh wave of attacks could be imminent. Thousands of Saudis have fled abroad to join the jihadists, raising fears of a backlash when battle- hardened fighters return home.
The kingdom announced in May that it had foiled a plot to assassinate senior Saudi officials and religious figures by terrorists linked to Isis. Pro-Isis graffiti has begun to appear around the kingdom and residents in parts of Riyadh woke in June to find jihadist leaflets on their car windscreens.
A spokeswoman for the Egyptian government denied that Cairo had sent troops to Saudi Arabia, but said the two allies remained in constant contact about the terrorist threat. “The security of the Gulf impacts on the security of the entire Middle East,” she said. Saudi government spokesmen could not be reached for comment.
pfff, there's always the nuclear bomb(you do know where that sht caliphate is,RIGHT?!), executions on site IF an individual is suspected of ISIS links,etc… IF ISIS plays hard so can others,RIGHT?
Although USA is still licking sunni ass (QATAR, KUWAIT,KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA,UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, etc…) and will not move a muscle to wipe out ISIS! HOW COULD THEY?!IT'S THEIR INVENTION/ORGANIZATION after all…
They will bring the fight to ur homeland. They have sympathizers and sleeping cells in every Muslim county and prospective recruits in every country. Bcoz our leaders are tyrants and corrupt to the bone and ISIS feed on their incompetence to recruit neglected people, who are in majority in all the Muslim world. Put ur house in order, get rid of these so-called liberals who support this sham democracy on TV channels and try to bring real democracy and real democratic leaders unlike BHUTTOS or SHAREEFS.
SAUDIE NAAMARDS CANNOT EVEN DEFEND THEMSELVES AFTER BUYING TRILLIONS $$$$ ARMS FROM USA UK !!!! SAUDIE KAAFIRS KILL SHIAS IN SAUDIE ARABIA BAHARAIN .. PAKISTANIS MUST NEVER BE SAUDIE OR USA SLAVES ..KAAFIRS ..ALLAH SHALL BE ANGRY .
brother our problem is Arabia not saudia so what ever Pakistan will do or is doing it will result better than doing nothing and leave shia kafir or sunni kafir to Allah till the judgment day.
Don’t call them Kafirs…..mind your language. …Pakistan Army will Go to Saudia Arebia Soon…. for Protection of Holy City…
This is your absolute wrong idea
Pity is saudia has to pay for men to fight for and iran get them free and on its enemy land
PAKISTANI ARMY HIRED RENTED BY SAUDIES – GULAMS KILLERS -NO NO PLEASE ALLAH NO ..
pakistan army is there to protect just holy places which is our responsibility .pakistan army is not rented to protect royal families ……………there is no value for life what do you mean by rented?
brothers our problem is Arabia not Saudia so what ever Pakistan will do or is doing it will result better than doing nothing and leave shia kafir or sunni kafir to Allah till the judgment day. What if God forbid Iran gets into the same condition Pakistani people will have the same feelings for them too. Can`t you see guyz muslims are being killed. the fired bullet has no idea it will kill shia or sunni so please stop this non sense.
LOL,
this photo isn't showing ISIS fighters, these are kurdish women.
Ignorant reporters!
pakistan's secular army should stay away from ISIS, or ISIS will hunt them down in their homes.
Pakistan army are brave they will never go back. No one have power to hunt them open your mind
Face us. We will not kill you, we will torture you. Pakistan Zindabad! Pak Army Zindabad!
Pakistan army will destroy isis in no time.
The pic is of women…..its so obvious
We Muslim’s need to stop killing other Muslims, can’t people see tgat this is what the west wants.
Why not help the Palestinians and other muslims who are suffering across the globe?
Pakistan get your priorities straight
yes…..defiantly Pak Army will fight with these terrorist……They must fight to save Holy Land…..these isis rates cant face the Pak Army…..Nasru min Allah wa Fatha Kareeb….
I have no problem with Pakistan Army being deployed abroad. However, my question is that can Pakistan can afford to do so at the moment. Certainly not. We are already stretched. We will need to expand our own capacity before we can deploy troops in Saudi or else where. are Saudis willing to fund our defense capacity expansion. If so, go for it. If not, let Saudi enjoy the fruits of their own planted trees.
We better do some soul searching as 17,000 are reported to have been trained as Jihadists in Syria and are returning to Britain to rage war here. If your skin or the skin of your loved ones is, watch your liberal views fly away.
Pak army to defend saud family or Holly sites? What about Holly sites in syria and iraq? Same Saudi’s were happy for démolition of number of shrines in Iraq and Syria. These Saudi’s were happy for 1.4 million killings in Syria, 200000 in Iraq and 60000 in Pakistan. Spending 50 billion $ in défense but shameful they can’t défend their land. Now they need chowkidar.
They must get rid off this Shia Sunni issue and learn a lesson when they create problems for other expect return.
Pak Army, if you are done playing games in FATA; go home to your daddy (saudi king), he is calling you.
ISIS WONT DARE ATTACK MEKKA OR MADINA.. I WISH THEY ATTACK THOSE SAUDI ROYaLS… THEY MONAPHEK, MUSLIM IN OUTSIDE AND THE OPPOSITE IN THE INSIDE… SAUDI IS AN AMERICAN CONCUBINE…
SHAME ON THEM..
Alhumdulilah if Pakistan army get opportunity to defend Saudia and Holy places .
Pakistan army already defeated all world powers in Afghanistan, like Russia, USA and Nato Allies.
We know the War and Can Die for friends.
Saudia and china have friendship with Pakistan, If now Saudai have any threat by ISIS ,not only Army each Pakistani can fight and die for it. Shia or other kafir not creaate any douts. What Game playing Kafir and Shia in arab Countries against Muslim every one know it.
Yes great
If ISIL does not fall, then one day USA will definitely fall. At the end, the USA will be captured by a terrorist group created by USA with the help of its supporters. In the end, USA will become a small Christine terrorist group and USA. World is waiting for the right time to wipe the USA from the map of the world. It is not easy to finish the influence of USA. However, it will be divided into small terrorist groups created within the Christianity. Jews and other minorities will become the majorities and rule the world. At that time, every created and supporter party will see the consequences of their rootless hate and decisions based on other parties which are using them for their own purpose.
Moron, you are living in fantasy land.
I am surprised that the Saudi King has not called upon Americans to come and wipe his ass yet and chosen to seek assistance from Pakistan whose citizens are treated like slaves in Saudi Arabia. I guess Pakistan should do the job for ISIS and get rid of the corrupt money thirsty monarchy who have played a vital role in corruption terrorism and damaging ISLAM in this century.
This is your dirty idea
nice. Now pakistani army who is getting its ass handed to it by illiterate taliban – have to go to saudi to die also… while the saudis sit and eat stinking mutton
ISIS is a brain child of USA well for troops yes Pakistan shall send army there but to defend from IRAN which is also a puppet of Israel and USA .
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