India has pushed back against Pakistan’s version of a naval collision in the Arabian Sea, summoning the Pakistani Charge d’Affaires to register a strong protestAccording to India, the incident occurred when a Pakistani vessel closed in on an Indian warship in a manner that was both unprofessional and in violation of maritime agreementsINS Kolkata, the Indian ship involved, escaped major damage and remains fully operational.
Published: September 18, 2026, 6:20 PM IST
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MEA spokesperson Randhir JaiswalScreengrab/ANI
India rejected Pakistan’s allegations over a collision between the Indian Navy’s INS Kolkata and Pakistan Navy vessel PNS Hunain in the western Arabian Sea on FridayIt further called Islamabad’s response ‘the same old stalling’ while accusing the Pakistani ship of an ‘unacceptable and unprofessional’ manoeuvre.
Speaking on the incident, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that INS Kolkata was on a routine deployment when PNS Hunain carried out a dangerous overtaking manoeuvre that resulted in the collision.
#WATCH | Delhi: On Pakistan Navy vessel collides with Indian warship, MEA Official Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, “We have seen Pakistan’s response to the protest we lodgedThis is the same old stalling we expectedWe categorically reject the allegations and insinuations… pic.twitter.com/sa41GlaFUB
— ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2026
“We have seen Pakistan’s response to the protest we lodgedThis is the same old stalling we expectedWe categorically reject the allegations and insinuations made thereinINS Kolkata was on a routine deployment in the western Arabian Sea when the Pakistan Navy ship PNS Hunain behaved in an unacceptable and unprofessional manner at sea, resulting in the collision,” Jaiswal said.
He further said that the manoeuvre was a ‘gross violation’ of Article 10 of the 1991 Agreement between India and Pakistan on Advance Notice on Military Exercises, Manoeuvres and Troops Movements, which stipulates that naval units at sea should not come within three nautical miles of each other.
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Jaiswal added that the Pakistani vessel also violated the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea.
The Pakistani foreign ministry had alleged that the incident happened following a “highly provocative and unacceptable action” by the Indian vessel in the Pakistan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
“The Pakistani side has once again been advised that, to prevent the recurrence of such incidents, all their military units need to exercise due caution and respect the provisions of the relevant agreements between the two sides,” he said.
What happened at the Arabian Sea?
India said the collision took place on September 15 in the North Arabian Sea, when PNS Hunain carried out a risky overtaking manoeuvre while INS Kolkata was on routine deployment in international waters.
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Pakistan, however, has disputed India’s account and accused the Indian warship of carrying out aggressive manoeuvres near its naval vesselHowever, Islamabad has claimed that the incident occurred within Pakistan’s exclusive economic zone during the SEASPARK-26 naval exercise.
