India lodges protest after Pakistani naval ship collides with warship in Arabian Sea

India lodged a formal protest with Pakistan on Wednesday, 16 September, after a Pakistani naval vessel collided with an Indian Navy warship in international waters in the North Arabian Sea, saying the Pakistani vessel maneuvered unsafely and breached a bilateral agreement intended to prevent military accidents.

The Ministry of External Affairs summoned Pakistan’s chargé d’affaires in New Delhi over what it called the “unacceptable and unprofessional conduct” of Pakistani naval units.

The ministry said the collision caused no major damage and was in “direct contravention” of Article 10 of a 1991 agreement governing military exercises and maneuveres by the two countries.

The incident occurred on Tuesday evening while an Indian Navy warship was conducting routine surveillance in the northern Arabian Sea, according to Indian government officials.

The Pakistani vessel approached the Indian ship at high speed and maneuvered in an unsafe manner before the collision.

Some Indian media reports identified the Pakistani ship as PNS Hunain.

Pakistan Navy describes Hunain as a multipurpose offshore patrol vessel equipped for electronic, anti-ship and anti-air warfare. Neither India’s foreign ministry nor Pakistan had publicly confirmed the vessel’s identity at the time of publication.

Article 10 of the 1991 Agreement on Advance Notice on Military Exercises, Manoeuvres and Troop Movements requires Indian and Pakistani naval ships and submarines operating in international waters to remain at least three nautical miles, about 5.6 kilometers, apart to avoid accidents.

India said Pakistan’s chargé d’affaires had been asked to convey to authorities in Islamabad that military units must exercise due care and comply with bilateral agreements intended to prevent such incidents.

India’s chargé d’affaires in Islamabad was also instructed to lodge a protest with Pakistan’s foreign ministry.

Pakistan had not publicly responded to India’s account of the collision at the time of publication.

The encounter recalls a similar dispute in June 2011 involving the Indian frigate INS Godavari and Pakistan’s PNS Babur in the Gulf of Aden.

The ships came into contact while operating around the merchant vessel MV Suez. Pakistan accused INS Godavari of dangerous maneuvering, while India said PNS Babur had jeopardized the safety of the Indian vessel and its crew.

Both countries cited Article 10 of the 1991 agreement and international collision-prevention rules in their diplomatic protests.

The latest collision comes amid strained relations between India and Pakistan following the April 2025 attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir and the military confrontation that followed. Pakistan denied involvement in the attack.