RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Navy has deployed its warships in the Arabian Sea following “recent maritime security incidents”, a navy spokesman said in a statement on Sunday.
The spokesman said that Pakistan Navy ships are continuously patrolling the Arabian Sea to ensure the security of Pakistan’s trade routes.
The development comes two days after the Indian Navy said it had rescued 21 crew members from a vessel 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 the sea to “maintain a deterrent presence” following a series of recent naval attacks, including a drone attack near the Indian coast that the United States blames on Iran.
Iran-backed Yemeni Houthi militias have claimed responsibility for a missile attack on a Pakistan-bound container ship in the Red Sea in an attempt to attack Israel using drones.
MSC Mediterranean Shipping said its crew were not injured in the attack on its ship United VIII en route from King Abdullah Port in Saudi Arabia to Karachi.
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In a statement today, the Pakistan Navy said round-the-clock aerial surveillance of trade lanes is also being conducted “to ensure the safety of Pakistan and international merchant ships”.
“The Pakistan Navy is well aware of its national responsibility to maintain maritime peace and order in the region,” it added.
Yemen’s Houthis are playing an escalating role in the Middle East, attacking ships in the Red Sea and firing drones and rockets at Israel in a campaign they say is aimed at supporting the Palestinians in the war in Gaza.
The Houthis’ role has added to the regional risks of the conflict, threatening sea lanes that carry much of the world’s oil and troubling states in the Red Sea as Houthi missiles and drones fly towards Israel.
