Tensions in the Arabian Sea escalated as the Pakistan Navy successfully forced India’s aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, to retreat after its deployment to the region on April 23.
This marked a significant moment in the growing maritime rivalry between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. Following persistent patrols by the Pakistan Navy, satellite images confirmed that the INS Vikrant had withdrawn and returned to India’s Karwar port after spending several days at sea.
This incident highlights the intensifying military posturing in the region, reflecting the fragile diplomatic relations between Pakistan and India.
After Pahalgam Incident, India Unleashes Diplomatic Offensive on Pakistan, Islamabad Weighs Response
In a separate and equally significant development, Pakistan has called for the involvement of Russia and China in the investigation of the recent attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. The attack, which killed 26 individuals, mostly tourists, is considered the deadliest in the region since the 2019 Pulwama strike.
Pakistan has proposed that the international involvement of Russia and China could provide a more balanced and transparent investigation into the claims made by India. The attack, attributed to the Resistance Front (TRF), has sparked fresh tensions between the two countries.
Indian security forces have launched a massive manhunt for the suspects involved, releasing wanted posters for several individuals, including rebels.
Meanwhile, Indian soldiers have demolished the homes of two suspects in Kashmir’s southern Tral area. Pakistan, however, has rejected India’s allegations and maintained its stance on the investigation of the attack.
Authorities have released wanted posters with sketches of three suspects: Adil Hussain Thokar, a suspected rebel, and allegedly two Pakistani citizens, Ali Bhai and Hashim Musa. They are also searching for Ashif Sheikh, another suspected rebel.
The family members of the two suspected rebels were also detained for questioning after the attack, a police officer and their relatives said.
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Sheikh’s sister, Yasmeena, said soldiers cordoned off the area around their house in Kashmir’s southern Tral area late on Thursday night.
“One soldier climbed over the mud compound wall of our home,” said Yasmeena, who gave only one name.
These developments underline the increasingly volatile security situation in South Asia, with both military confrontations in the maritime domain and sensitive diplomatic issues surrounding terrorism deepening the rift between Pakistan and India.
