Pakistani boat with nine crew members enters Indian waters, detained by Coast Guard

New Delhi: A Pakistani fishing boat with nine crew members aboard has been seized by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) after it attempted to enter Indian waters illegally. The boat was apprehended and taken to Porbandar.

How was the boat captured?

The Pakistani boat was inside Indian waters near the International Maritime Boundary Line on Wednesday) when it was seized by the Indian Coast Guard. According to officials, the Indian Coast Guard challenged the crew members on the Pakistani boat who tried to flee. However, the Indian Coast Guard seized the vessel in the Arabian Sea and detained the crew members.

 What did the Indian Coast Guard say?

"The boat is being towed to Porbandar by ICG Ship for thorough rummaging and joint interrogation by concerned agencies," the Indian Coast Guard said in a statement. 

"The operation reaffirms coast guard unwavering commitment to secure Bharat’s maritime frontiers through relentless vigil and law enforcement across the nation’s maritime domain." 

Have such incidents happened recently?

The Indian Coast Guard had detained a Pakistani fishing boat inside India's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in December last year. The Pakistani vessel involved in this incident had 11 crew members on board, all of whom were detained. According to officials, the boat was illegally operating inside Indian territorial waters. The Pakistani crew members were later handed over to the Jakhau Marine Police in Gujarat for further investigation.

What is the situation at the India-Pakistan border?

Pakistani drones were spotted hovering over the International Border and Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch and Samba districts on Thursday night, prompting security forces to immediately activate their Anti-Unmanned Aerial Systems (Anti-UAS). Security has also been further tightened along the India-Pakistan border.

According to media reports, drone activity was first observed near the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district. A drone was seen hovering near border outposts, after which security forces immediately activated their anti-drone system to counter any potential threat.

Similarly, a drone was also reported to have been sighted near the International Border in the Ramgarh sector of Samba district. Officials said that in both cases, the drones were seen hovering near Indian territory, after which security agencies maintained a close watch on the situation.

What was the response from the Indian Army?

Following these incidents, the Indian Army and other security forces deployed along the India-Pakistan border have been put on high alert. Surveillance and patrolling have been increased in the border areas to prevent any kind of infiltration or suspicious activity.

What is Pakistan up to?

There has been heightened activity by Pakistan along the border areas in recent days. Last Sunday, the security forces had spotted suspected drone activity in several forward areas near the International Border (IB) and Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba, Rajouri, and Poonch districts.