Pakistan rejected India's action as an 'aggressive act' following the collision of the two countries' warships in the Arabian Sea. The Pakistani Foreign Ministry made this claim on Wednesday, stating that the collision occurred in Pakistan's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), while India has referred to this area as international waters.
Details of the Incident
According to reports, the collision occurred approximately 220 kilometers (118 nautical miles) east of the Omani coast in the Arabian Sea. The Pakistani Foreign Ministry expressed strong dissatisfaction with the 'provocative' actions of the Indian vessel and called on the international community to urge India to abandon this aggressive practice.
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Mutual Objections
Following the incident, both countries presented strong objections to each other. Pakistan stated that the incident occurred during the biennial military exercises SEASPARK-26, and the Indian vessel was accused of making 'aggressive maneuvers' near the Pakistani ship. Meanwhile, India claimed that the Pakistani vessel approached the Indian ship at high speed and attempted to maneuver.
This incident is also recognized as a violation of an agreement signed between the two countries in 1991. Under this agreement, the vessels of both countries must maintain a distance of at least three nautical miles from each other. Pakistani officials told the media that the Indian ship, known as the guided missile destroyer INS Kolkata, has repeatedly attempted to enter the exercise area since the start of Pakistan's military exercises on September 7.
The INS Kolkata, weighing 7,400 tons and measuring 163 meters in length, is larger than the Pakistani patrol vessel PNS Hunain, which was involved in this incident. The Pakistani vessel is approximately 96 meters long and weighs 2,600 tons, with a maximum speed of 22 knots. In contrast, the INS Kolkata has a higher speed of up to 30 knots and was commissioned in 2014.
Pakistan has not commented on reports regarding damage to its vessel, while media reports have mentioned damage ranging from 'severe' to 'large dents.' India has stated that its vessel was unharmed and continued its operations.
Analysts will closely monitor developments following this incident, especially given the deteriorating diplomatic relations that the two countries can hardly resolve without external intervention.
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