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| Indian Frigate, INS Teg (File Photo) |
By Ankit Panda
The Indian navy is taking steps to combat terrorism at sea.
Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi on Wednesday, India’s navy chief Adm. R. K. Dhowan addressed a variety of issues concerning India’s efforts to bolster maritime security, including the security consequences of the September 2014 incident in Pakistan when Al Qaeda militants attempted to seize the PNS Zulfiqar, a Pakistani navy frigate, and China’s naval inroads in the Indian Ocean. Dhowan’s comments addressed the issue of Pakistan-borne terrorism on the high seas a week after the sixth anniversary of the November 2008 terrorist siege of Mumbai. Those attacks highlighted India’s coastal vulnerabilities as one group of terrorists successfully entered Indian territory in inflatable speedboats without any opposition or scrutiny.
Based on Dhowan’s comments, India is taking maritime terrorist threats seriously. As the September 2014 incident in Pakistan demonstrated, Al Qaeda and related groups could look to hijack naval vessels to stage attacks against Indian vessels in international waters. “Threat in the maritime domain from terrorists, non-state actors is huge… terrorists trying to commandeer a ship is a serious situation… We have taken note [of the Pakistan incident],” Dhowan said. “We have [250,000] fishing boats in the country… any one can take up arms, ammunition in remote islands. [There are] 1197 islands and 7016 km of coastline. [It speaks to] how easy it is from the other side and how difficult it is for us to secure,” he added.
Read the full story at The Diplomat