Indian Navy to hold exercise in Arabian Sea off Gujarat Coast as Pakistan holds parallel exercise

Porbandar: The Arabian Sea, off the western coast including Gujarat’s maritime belt, will witness heightened naval activity from Monday as the navies of India and Pakistan conduct separate exercises in their respective waters. Both sides have issued Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) restricting air traffic over their respective maritime zones during the drills.

“Indian Navy warships will be carrying out drills in the Arabian Sea on August 11–12. The Pakistan Navy has also issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) for conducting its own naval exercises in its waters,” said news agency ANI, quoting defence sources.

The development comes just months after a tense military face-off between the two countries from May 7 to May 10, triggered by India’s ‘Operation Sindoor’—a strike to destroy terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives. The Indian military targeted and destroyed nine terrorist sites during the operation.

Indian naval warships are expected to operate in the Arabian Sea area, which also covers waters adjoining Gujarat’s coast—a key strategic stretch given its proximity to Pakistan. Pakistan has similarly demarcated its own exercise zone through a NOTAM. DeshGujarat