India summoned Pakistan’s top diplomat Wednesday to lodge a strong protest after Pakistani and Indian naval vessels collided in international waters in the northern Arabian Sea, officials said.
The confrontation occurred Tuesday between Pakistani naval units and an Indian Navy ship, according to the Associated Press, no major injuries or damage was reported.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs described the conduct of the Pakistani naval vessels as “unacceptable and unprofessional” and called on Pakistan to ensure that its military forces exercise restraint and comply with bilateral agreements to prevent recurrence of such incidents.
India formally lodged its protest and summoned Pakistan’s Charge d’Affaires in New Delhi to the MEA. India’s Charge d’Affaires in Islamabad was also instructed by the MEA to raise the issue with Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry.
The incident took place in international waters, the ministry said, citing provisions of a 1991 agreement between the two countries on advance notification of military exercises and movements.
The incident comes amid fraught ties between the nuclear-armed neighbors who have fought several wars since independence in 1947.
