Navy says patrols aim to ensure ‘safety of Pakistan and international merchant vessels’
- Continuous aerial surveillance is also carried out: Pakistan Navy.
- “Pakistan Navy is well aware of its national responsibility.”
- The development comes amid Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.
RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Navy has deployed its warships to the Arabian Sea following the “recent maritime security incidents”, a navy spokesperson said in a statement on Sunday.
The spokesperson said Pakistan Navy ships continuously patrol the Arabian Sea to ensure the safety of Pakistan’s trade routes.
The development comes two days after the Indian Navy said it rescued 21 crew members from a ship in the Arabian Sea following a hijacking distress call, the latest attack on commercial shipping in the region. .
Last month, the Indian navy deployed several warships to sea to “maintain a deterrent presence” after a series of recent maritime attacks, including a drone attack near the Indian coast that the United States blamed on Iran.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia has claimed responsibility for a missile attack on a Pakistan-bound container ship in the Red Sea in an attempt to attack Israel with drones.
MSC Mediterranean Shipping had said there were no injuries among its crew in the attack on its ship, the United VIII, en route from King Abdullah Port, Saudi Arabia, to Karachi.
In today’s statement, the Pakistan Navy said that continuous aerial surveillance of commercial passages is also being carried out “to ensure the safety of Pakistan and international merchant vessels.”
“Pakistan Navy is well aware of its national responsibility in maintaining maritime peace and order in the region,” he added.
Yemen’s Houthis are playing an increasingly important role in the Middle East, attacking ships in the Red Sea and firing drones and missiles at Israel in a campaign they say is aimed at supporting the Palestinians in the Gaza war.
The Houthi role has added to the regional risks of the conflict, threatening the sea routes through which much of the world’s oil is shipped and worrying Red Sea states as Houthi rockets and drones fly toward Israel.
