Pak enters Saudi's 'Thunder of North' military exercise

Armed forces from around 20 countries including Pakistan and Malaysia are gathering in northern Saudi Arabia Sunday for 'the largest, most important military manoeuvres' ever staged in the region.

The 'Thunder of the North' exercise involving ground, air and naval forces sends a 'clear message' that Riyadh and its allies stands united in confronting all challenges and preserving peace and stability in the region, reports the Dawn.

Saudi Arabia is currently leading a military campaign against Iran-backed rebels in its southern neighbour Yemen.

Last December, it also formed a new 35-member coalition to fight 'terrorism' in Islamic countries.

Sunday's announcement also comes as the kingdom, a member of the US-led coalition targeting the Islamic State group, said it has deployed warplanes to a Turkish air base in order to 'intensify'its operations against ISIS in Syria.

Twenty countries among the participants are Saudi Arabia's five partners in the Gulf Cooperation Council, as well as Chad, Egypt, Jordan, Malaysia, Morocco, Pakistan, Senegal and Tunisia, it added.

It is the 'most important and largest in the region's history'in terms of the number of nations taking part and the weaponry being used.