ISLAMABAD (AP) — Saudi Arabia has awarded its highest national honor to Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, during his visit to Riyadh, Pakistan’s military said Monday, underscoring deepening ties between the two countries, including cooperation on counterterrorism.
Munir received the King Abdulaziz Medal of the Excellent Class on Sunday, months after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman signed a defense pact with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif highlighting the longstanding strategic relationship between the two countries.
In September, Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif said his nation’s nuclear program “will be made available” to Saudi Arabia if needed under the countries’ new defense pact.
Munir’s visit to Saudi Arabia and other Islamic countries is his first since his promotion to Pakistan’s newly created post of chief of defense forces, aimed at improving coordination among the army, navy, and air force.
Saudi Arabia has maintained close economic, religious, and security ties with Pakistan for decades.
Munir rose to prominence earlier this year after Pakistan said it repelled India in a four-day border conflict. The nuclear-armed rivals exchanged tit-for-tat strikes in May following an Indian operation targeting militants inside Pakistan, which New Delhi accused of involvement in the killing of 26 tourists in India-controlled Kashmir.
The confrontation eased after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that India and Pakistan had agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire.
In a statement, Pakistan’s military said the conferring of the award upon Munir “underscores the depth of Pakistan-Saudi Arabia relations and the shared determination of both nations to strengthen further strategic cooperation in pursuit of regional and global peace.”
It said the honor recognizes Munir’s military service, leadership and efforts in advancing defense cooperation, strategic coordination and institutional links between the two nations.
During meetings with Saudi officials on Sunday, the two sides discussed regional security, defense and military cooperation, strategic collaboration and evolving geopolitical challenges, the military said. Both countries reaffirmed their “deep-rooted, historic and brotherly relations.”
Saudi leaders praised Munir’s professionalism and strategic outlook, the statement said. Munir expressed gratitude for the honor, calling it a reflection of the enduring ties between the two nations, and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the kingdom’s security, stability and prosperity.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have maintained defense ties for decades, partly based on Islamabad’s stated willingness to help protect the Islamic holy sites of Mecca and Medina. The Kingdom has also financially helped Pakistan to overcome default on the payments of foreign debts.
In this photo released by the Inter Services Public Relations, Pakistan's Chief of Defense Forces and Army Chief Gen. Asim Munir speaks during a ceremony at the joint military command headquarters in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (Inter Services Public Relations via AP)
MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian general was killed Monday morning after an explosive device detonated underneath his car in Moscow, and investigators said Ukraine could be behind the attack, the third such killing of a senior military officer in a year.
Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces' General Staff, died from his injuries, said Svetlana Petrenko, the spokesperson for Russia’s Investigative Committee, the nation's top criminal investigation agency.
“Investigators are pursuing numerous lines of enquiry regarding the murder. One of these is that the crime was orchestrated by Ukrainian intelligence services,” Petrenko said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that President Vladimir Putin had been immediately informed about Sarvarov's killing.
The Defense Ministry said that Sarvarov had previously fought in Chechnya and taken part in Moscow's military campaign in Syria.
Just over a year ago, on Dec. 17, 2024, Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, the chief of the military’s nuclear, biological and chemical protection forces, was killed by a bomb hidden on an electric scooter outside his apartment building. Kirillov's assistant also died. Ukraine’s security service claimed responsibility for the attack.
An Uzbek man was quickly arrested and charged with killing Kirillov on behalf of the Ukrainian security service.
Russian President Vladimir Putin described Kirillov’s killing as a “major blunder” by Russia’s security agencies, noting they should learn from it and improve their efficiency.
But in April, another senior Russian military officer, Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, a deputy head of the main operational department in the General Staff, was killed by an explosive device placed in his car parked near to his apartment building just outside Moscow. A suspected perpetrator was quickly arrested.
Moscow also has blamed Ukraine for several bombings and other attacks in Russia.
This undated image provided by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, shows Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff, who was killed Monday morning after an explosive device detonated under his car in southern Moscow. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)
Investigators work at the scene where Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff, was killed by an explosive device placed under his car in Moscow, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (AP Photo)
This image taken from video provided by Investigative Committee of Moscow on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, shows the scene where Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff, was killed by an explosive device placed under his car in Moscow. (Investigative Committee of Moscow via AP)
Policemen secure the area near the scene where Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff, was killed by an explosive device placed under his car in Moscow, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (AP Photo)
This image taken from video provided by Investigative Committee of Moscow on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, shows the scene where Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff, was killed by an explosive device placed under his car in Moscow. (Investigative Committee of Moscow via AP)
This photo provided by Investigative Committee of Moscow on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, shows an investigator working at the scene where Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff, was killed by an explosive device placed under his car in Moscow. (Investigative Committee of Moscow via AP)
