Pakistan Accuses India of “Belligerent Action” After Warships Collide
Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected India’s version of the incident on Wednesday when the two nations’ warships made contact at sea and accused India of “belligerent action.” Each nation has issued strong protests to the other while analysts fear it represents a rising of tensions among the two nuclear nations that fought a little over a year ago.
Pakistan asserts that the collision between its warship and the Indian vessels took place in Pakistan’s EEZ while India only referred to the area as international waters. Unconfirmed reports in the media said the incident took place approximately 220 km (approximately 118 nautical miles) east of the Oman coast in the North Arabian Sea.
The Ministry said it had lodged a strong protest “over a highly provocative and unacceptable action by a vessel of the Indian Navy.” It went on to say it “strongly rejects this belligerent Indian action,” while calling for the international community to urge India to “abandon its belligerent posture.” Pakistan said the international community should call on India to “refrain from irresponsible actions that could further destabilize South Asia.”
Pakistan asserts the incident took place during its biennial SEASPARK-26 exercise. It asserts the Indian vessel carried out “aggressive maneuvers in dangerously close proximity,” resulting in the two vessels making contact. Reports in the media say the Indian vessel maneuvered, causing the incident, while in the Indian version the Pakistani ship was seen approaching at a fast speed and attempting to maneuver.
The only thing both sides agree on is that the incident was a violation of a 1991 agreement that called for vessels from the two nations to remain at least three nautical miles apart at all times.
Pakistani officials told the media that the Indian vessel, identified as the guided-missile destroyer INS Kolkata, had “repeatedly tried to enter the exercise area since Pakistan launched the training on September 7.
INS Kolkata, 7,400 tons displacement, is 163 meters (534 feet) in length, making her larger than the Pakistani offshore patrol vessel PNS Hunain, which was reported to have been involved in the incident. The Pakistani vessel is approximately 96 meters (315 feet) and 2,600 tons displacement, with a top speed of 22 knots. INS Kolkata, which was commissioned in 2014, is also faster with a reported top speed of 30 knots.
Pakistan did not comment on the reports that their vessel sustained damage, with the media saying it ranged from “severe damage” to a “big dent.” India asserts its vessel did not sustain damage and continued its survey assignment.
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Analysts will be watching for what the two nations do next after each issues strong protests. They note that with the downgrading of diplomatic relations, the countries have few mechanisms to defuse conflicts without outside intervention.
It is not the first time the countries’ warships have been involved in bumping incidents. Indian and Pakistani frigates bumped in 2021 while in the Gulf of Aden. Then, as now, each side blamed the other for the action, but after strong protests, it was permitted to die down without further incident.
