Guwahati, Sept. 18 -- Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have signed a Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement, pledging to support each other in case of external aggression.

The move marks a significant step in formalising decades of security cooperation between the two Islamic nations.

The pact was signed during Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's state visit to Riyadh and announced in a joint statement after his meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Reuters reported.

It states that any attack on either country will be considered an attack on both, shifting their long-standing informal security ties into a structured military framework.

A senior Saudi official described the deal as the culmination of "years of discussions," cl...