Pakistan claims to intercept Indian submarine near its waters, a week after shooting down fighter jets over Kashmir

Facebook/Director of Public Relations-Navy

Pakistan claimed that it stopped an Indian submarine from entering its waters, and toyed with the idea of sinking it.
Pakistan’s Navy shared video and a photo of the submarine on Monday, though it did not specify how far it was from Pakistan.
The claims come a week after tensions between the nuclear rivals spiked, with the countries shooting down each others’ jets and Pakistan capturing an Indian pilot.
A spokesperson for the Indian Navy told Business Insider that India was still assessing the situation.

Pakistan’s Navy claimed that it stopped an Indian submarine from entering its waters, just one week after tensions between the two nuclear rivals peaked in a dogfight over Kashmir.

In a Facebook post, Pakistan’s Navy said that it had "detected and blocked [an] Indian Navy Submarine from entering into Pakistani waters", and claimed that India had deployed it "deviously."

The navy said that it could have destroyed the Indian submarine, but decided not to in the interests of peace.

It came as tensions were easing between the two countries, which came close to war after the dogfight last week.

Pakistan Navy

The post continued: "The submarine could have been easily engaged and destroyed had it not been Pakistan’s policy to exercise restraint in the face of Indian aggression and to give peace a chance to prevail.

"However, the submarine is being kept under watch along with monitoring of other Indian Navy units."

Pakistan’s navy also shared a video of the submarine, which is said was in the area as part of "a series of provocative actions against Pakistan."

A navy spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday that it did not target the submarine "keeping in view Pakistan’s policy of peace." It said said the warning was "communicated" to the submarine, which then moved away. The official spoke anonymously to reporters and did not elaborate, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.

The spokesman was not clear whether they were defining Pakistan’s waters by the 12 nautical mile (22 kilometer) territorial waters limit or the much larger 200 nautical mile (370 kilometer) exclusive economic zone, AFP said.

A spokesperson for the Indian Navy told Business Insider that it was still assessing the situation, and declined to make a statement.

Pakistan said the submarine encounter was the first such incident since 2016, when Pakistan said it "pushed" an Indian submarine away from its waters.

Tensions high between nuclear rivals

Tensions sharply rose between India and Pakistan — which both have nuclear arsenals — after a February 14 attack in the disputed Kashmir region.

The attack was carried out by a terrorist group based in Pakistan, and killed at least 40 Indian troops.

Last week the conflict escalate when the two countries shot each others’ jets out of the sky, and Pakistan captured an Indian pilot.

Pakistan returned him on Friday as a "peace gesture."

Sky News/Business Insider

At least 10 people have been killed in the past week as troops fired across Kashmir’s Line of Control between the two countries, The Associated Press reported.

India has remained relatively silent over the course of the conflict, though it welcomed the return of the pilot, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi repeatedly emphasized the country’s military strength.

AP Photo/Pervez Masih

World powers urged caution between the two countries, which have fought three wars over Kashmir region: in 1947, 1965, and 1999.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since both countries gained independence from British rule in 1947. Both countries claim the territory in its entirety.

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