Updated

Syria is considering whether to join the Mecca defence pact, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said on Saturday at the Manama Dialogue conference in Bahrain. He said discussions were underway to evaluate Syria's entry into the Mecca alliance. The pact was signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan in Mecca in August and treats an attack on one member as an attack on all three. The statement comes as Saudi Arabia faces Houthi drone attacks. No timeline for a decision was given.