UPDATE - Pakistan Navy claims it blocked Indian submarine

UPDATES WITH STATEMENT BY INDIAN NAVY

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan( AA) - Pakistan Navy claimed on Tuesday to have thwarted an attempt by an Indian submarine to enter Pakistani waters in the Arabian Sea.

"The Pakistan Navy used its specialized skills to ward off the submarine, successfully keeping it from entering Pakistani waters," a spokesman for the navy said in a statement.

The development came days after aerial combat between the air forces of longtime rivals Pakistan and India following a deadly suicide bombing on an Indian military convoy in the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region last month. India blamed Pakistan for the brazen attack that killed more than 40 Indian troops.

This for the second time after 2016 when an Indian submarine is detected close to Pakistani waters, it added.

However, Indian Navy rejected the claim, saying it “remains deployed” to “protect National Maritime Interests”.

“As was stated during the Jt Press Statement on 28 Feb 19, the #IndianNavy remains deployed as necessary to protect National Maritime Interests. Over the past several days we have witnessed Pakistan indulging in false propaganda and spread of misinformation,” the Indian Navy spokesperson said on Twitter.

“The #IndianNavy does not take cognizance of such propaganda. Our deployments remain undeterred,” it added.