Yemen Monitor/Newsroom
Pakistan Navy held a high-level command and staff conference on Tuesday, reviewing the situation in the northern Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The meeting also discussed measures to ensure the safety of commercial vessels passing through these vital waterways, according to a naval media statement.
The conference, as stated by the Pakistan News Agency, is the highest decision-making body of the Pakistan Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, along with all principal staff officers and field commanders, reviews Pakistan’s Navy policies and plans.
Admiral Naveed Ashraf, the Chief of Naval Staff, chaired the conference at Naval Headquarters in Islamabad. The meeting covered geostrategic environment, national security, operational readiness, and training of the forces, according to the Director General of Public Relations (DGPR) Navy.
The DGPR stated in a statement: “The forum reviewed the maritime situation in the northern Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden and discussed measures necessary for the safety and security of national merchant shipping passing through the region.”
This development comes weeks after the Houthi group announced that it had targeted three ships in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden using missiles and drones.
Houthi militants have launched drone and missile attacks on ships in the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and Gulf of Aden since November. They say they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians over the war in Gaza.
Pakistan Navy’s command and staff conference was also briefed on important ongoing and future development projects, according to the statement. The Naval Chief expressed confidence in the combat readiness and significant contribution of the Navy to the maritime domain.
The statement said:
“The Chief of Naval Staff emphasized enhancing maritime security and maintaining combat readiness to effectively respond to any aggression against Pakistan.”
“He urged the acquisition of specialized and innovative capabilities while leveraging indigenous resources to deal with modern-day challenges in the maritime domain.”
Last week, the Pakistani Navy warship PNS Yarmook conducted bilateral exercises with allied naval forces as part of a Regional Maritime Security Patrol (RMSP) deployment in Bahrain aimed at enhancing maritime coordination and joint operational capability in the region.
In July, the Pakistani Navy also assumed command of a multinational task force responsible for ensuring maritime security in the southwestern waters of the Middle East, operating in the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Gulf of Aden.
