India's Ministry of External Affairs summoned Pakistan's Charge d'Affaires, Saad Ahmad Warraich, on 16/9 to deliver a protest note after a collision between naval ships from the two countries in international waters north of the Arabian Sea a day earlier.

Indian sources state that Pakistan's frigate, Hunain, moved at high speed, closely approaching an Indian "forward warship" conducting a routine patrol in the area. This led to the collision on the evening of 15/9. The incident, which occurred about 220 km east of Oman, caused no major damage to either vessel.

Rough seas prevailed at the time of the incident, and both ships subsequently moved away from each other. Indian sources accused the Pakistani vessel of "unprofessional, unsafe" maneuvering.

India's destroyer INS Kolkata participated in the Malabar exercise in the northern Arabian Sea in 2020. *Photo: US Navy*

India's Ministry of External Affairs asserted that the Pakistan naval ship's conduct "directly violated" Article 10 of the 1991 agreement between the two nations. This agreement mandates prior notification of exercises, maneuvers, and military movements.

The agreement stipulates that Indian and Pakistani warships and submarines must maintain a distance of at least three nautical miles when operating in international waters to prevent accidents.

"New Delhi requested Pakistan's Charge d'Affaires to convey to the relevant authorities of his country that all military units must act cautiously and strictly comply with the bilateral agreement to prevent similar incidents from recurring," a statement from India's Ministry of External Affairs said.

India's Charge d'Affaires in Islamabad also received instructions to send a similar protest to Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Location of India, Pakistan, and the Arabian Sea. *Graphics: Britannica*

Neither the Pakistan Navy nor its government has commented on the incident. A similar collision occurred in 6/2011 involving Pakistan's ship Babur and India's warship INS Godavari.

This marks the first public military tension between the two nuclear-armed nations since a 4-day conflict last year. Those clashes raised concerns about a wider war before both sides reached a ceasefire agreement.

India and Pakistan have engaged in three major wars since gaining independence in 1947, with two centered on the Kashmir issue. The two countries have also seen numerous sporadic armed clashes.

Diplomatic relations between New Delhi and Islamabad were downgraded in 2019 due to the Kashmir dispute. Currently, neither country has an ambassador in the other's capital; instead, charges d'affaires head the diplomatic missions.

By Thanh Danh (Reuters, Indian Express, NDTV)