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Pakistan Denies Indian Submarine Intrusion
The Pakistani Navy on Friday denied India’s claim that it had prevented Indian submarines from entering its territorial waters. Navy spokesperson Captain D.K. Sharma stated that the navy did not carry out any underwater movements near Pakistan, despite the release of footage showing a submarine "blocked."
India categorically denied the Pakistani Navy’s statement, calling it "blatant lies."
However, the Pakistani Navy issued a statement claiming to have detected Indian submarines on November 14 and 16. It accused India of deceitfully deploying submarines against Pakistan with ulterior motives, while Pakistan proved its vigilance and operational competence by blocking an Indian submarine from entering its waters.
The incident occurred as Pakistan and China were launching the fourth naval exercise near Gwadar port in Balochistan, a crucial area for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). China had sent the rescue vessel "Changxingdao" and the PLA(N) ship "Handan" to Karachi for the exercise.
The exchange of words indicates rising tension between New Delhi and Islamabad, following accusations of ceasefire violations. The Ministry of External Affairs accused Pakistan forces of violating the 2003 ceasefire agreement and targeting civilian villages in the border areas.
This is the first reported naval stand-off between the two sides since January, when the Pathankot airbase attack escalated with the September 18 attack in Uri. The government told Parliament that Pakistan had violated the ceasefire 369 times in Jammu & Kashmir until November 2.
The Pakistani claims of spotting Indian submarines close to its territorial waters are disconcerting and symbolize the growing military acrimony between the two sides. Submarine maneuvers underwater are fraught with real dangers, and both sides send submarines on patrols into each other’s waters, constantly tracking and mapping the other’s submarines. Given the critical nature of deniability in submarine warfare, Pakistan’s claims were unsurprising, while India denied them.
Reference : https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/India-denies-Pak.-claims-of-submarine-intrusion/article16668233.ece