Indian Coast Guard patrol vessels intercepted "a suspicious" Pakistani fishing boat in the Arabian Sea on New Year's eve, thwarting what the Indian security establishment contends could have been another attempt to unleash mayhem like the 26/11 terror strikes in Mumbai. All the four persons on board the vessel, which came from near Pakistani port city of Karachi, are believed to have been killed i
n the dramatic episode, India's defence ministry said in a statement yesterday. Firing warning shots, Indian Coast Guard ships and aircraft tried to intercept the boat near the maritime border with Pakistan, around 365 kilometres off the coastal state of Gujarat, following an intelligence tip-off. "However, the boat increased speed and tried to escape away from the Indian side of maritime boundary. The hot pursuit continued for nearly one hour," the statement added. The four-member crew of the Pakistani vessel then hid themselves below the deck before setting the boat on fire which set off a large explosion. "Due to darkness, bad weather and strong winds, the boat and persons on board could not be saved or recovered. The boat burnt and sank in the same position, in early hours of January 1," said the statement. It said the crew were planning "some illicit transaction" and that the boat was carrying explosives. Advertisement The Indian Defence Ministry also released pictures of the burning vessel and the plumes of red smoke billowing after the explosion. The incident has evoked memories of the deadly November 26, 2008 Mumbai terror attacks when Pakistani militants sneaked into India's financial capital by sea and then began a 60-hour rampage that left 166 people dead.
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