India on September 16, 2026, summoned Pakistan’s Charge d’Affaires at the High Commission in New Delhi and lodged a strong formal protest over a collision between Pakistani naval units and an Indian Navy vessel in the North Arabian Sea.
According to official sources, the incident occurred on the evening of September 15 when a Pakistani Navy ship approached a frontline Indian Navy warship at high speed. The Indian vessel was on a routine surveillance mission in international waters. The Pakistani ship manoeuvred in what India described as an unsafe and unprofessional manner, resulting in the collision
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that the incident took place in international waters and did not cause any major damage. The Indian warship continued its operational deployment. Some reports identified the Pakistani vessel as PNS Hunain, an offshore patrol vessel of the Yarmook class, and noted that it sustained damage and headed back to port.
India said the conduct of the Pakistani naval ship was in direct contravention of Article 10 of the Agreement between India and Pakistan on Advance Notice on Military Exercises, Manoeuvres and Troops Movements of April 1991. That clause requires naval ships and submarines of both countries to maintain a minimum distance of three nautical miles from each other while operating in international waters to prevent accidents.
The Pakistani Charge d’Affaires was advised to convey to the authorities in Islamabad the need for all military units to exercise due care and respect the provisions of relevant bilateral agreements so that such incidents do not recur. India also instructed its own Charge d’Affaires in Islamabad to lodge a similar protest with Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Pakistan later summoned India’s Charge d’Affaires in Islamabad and issued its own protest, offering a differing account of the events. The episode marks the first overt military tension between the two nuclear-armed neighbours since a short conflict the previous year.