INS Kolkata And PNS Hunain Collide Northern Arabian Sea September 15, 2026 India: Pakistani Vessel Approached At High Speed Crossing Starboard Bow Pakistan: Indian Warship Conducted Aggressive Manoeuvres Inside Pakistan’s EEZ India: Collision In International Waters Mutual Diplomatic Summoning India Cites Violation Of 1991 Agreement On Advance Notice Of Military Exercises
Indian and Pakistani naval vessels collided on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, in the northern Arabian Sea, setting off tit-for-tat diplomatic accusations and marking the first direct military encounter between the nuclear-armed neighbours since their four-day air war in May 2025. Al Jazeera
Pakistan’s government summoned India’s top diplomat in Islamabad on Wednesday, mirroring action New Delhi had taken hours earlier when it summoned Pakistan’s chargé d’affaires and lodged a protest of its own over the incident. India cited a violation of Article 10 of the 1991 India-Pakistan agreement on advance notice of military exercises, manoeuvres and troop movements, and described the Pakistani ship’s conduct as in direct contravention of that agreement.
A government official in New Delhi told reporters that the Indian warship was on a routine surveillance mission in international waters in the northern Arabian Sea when the Pakistani vessel approached at high speed. India’s account maintains that the Indian bridge repeatedly transmitted warnings through VHF Channel 16, the international maritime distress and calling frequency, establishing that PNS Hunain’s crew had opportunities to recognise the developing navigational risk before physical contact occurred. Indian descriptions maintain that the Pakistani vessel increased speed and crossed ahead from the Indian ship’s starboard side, creating a dangerous bow-crossing geometry.
Pakistan, by contrast, said the Indian vessel carried out aggressive manoeuvres in dangerously close proximity to a Pakistani naval ship, and placed the incident within its exclusive economic zone rather than international waters. No major damage was reported as a result of the collision.
The 2026 collision is more strategically sensitive because it followed the May 2025 India-Pakistan conflict, which demonstrated that terrorism allegations, precision strikes and reciprocal military action can compress escalation from political crisis to military exchange with alarming speed. Defence Security Asia
Two different accounts. Two different locations. One very small sea. Check out our previous coverage of India-Pakistan relations on The Trusted Times.
