Pakistan says considering Saudi Arabia's request for troops for Yemen

Pakistan is considering a request from Saudi Arabia for troops to send to Yemen, the foreign office said on Thursday. "We have been contacted by Saudi Arabia," said spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam in response to a question about whether Pakistan would send troops. "The matter is being examined."

Saudi Arabia and Gulf region allies launched military operations including air strikes in Yemen on Thursday, Saudi officials said, to counter Iran-allied forces besieging the southern city of Aden, where the U.S.-supported Yemeni president had taken refuge.

Gulf broadcaster al-Arabiya TV reported that the kingdom was contributing as many as 150,000 troops and 100 warplanes to the operations and that allies Egypt, Jordan, Sudan and Pakistan were ready to take part in a ground offensive in Yemen.