Ahmedabad: The Coast Guard successfully rescued seven Indian fishermen who had been detained by the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) in the waters off the Gujarat coast. The fishermen were held on a PMSA vessel near the maritime boundary between India and Pakistan.

The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon when the Coast Guard received a distress signal from an Indian fishing boat operating near the No-Fishing Zone (NFZ). The message reported that the PMSA had intercepted the Indian fishing boat, Kal Bhairav, and detained seven crew members.

Responding swiftly, the Coast Guard dispatched a patrol ship to the location near the India-Pakistan Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL). Despite attempts by the PMSA ship to retreat, the Indian Coast Guard vessel intercepted it and successfully persuaded the PMSA crew to release the fishermen.

The seven fishermen were safely retrieved and found to be in stable condition. However, Kal Bhairav, the Indian fishing boat, was reported to have been damaged and sunk during the confrontation.

The Indian Coast Guard returned to the Okha harbour on Monday, where a joint investigation was launched. The ICG, Gujarat police, intelligence agencies, and the fisheries department are all working together to examine the incident and the circumstances that led to the collision between the PMSA vessel and the Indian fishing boat, as well as the subsequent rescue operation.