BSF arrests 15 Pakistani fishermen for illegally entering Indian waters in Gujarat

Representational Image. File Pic

As reported by news agency ANI, the fishermen were caught around 9 am on Thursday during an independent operation conducted by the BSF personnel in the Kori Creek region of Kutch district.

The officials from the Border Security Force, while addressing the incident, said that "The BSF troops also seized an engine-fitted country boat used by the intruders. All 15 fishermen have been handed over to local police for further investigation," as cited by news agency ANI.

The marshy waterways of Kori Creek, Harami Nala, and Sir Creek in Gujarat's Kutch district have been hotspots for maritime boundary violations by Pakistani fishermen, and there have been several such incidents, like reported before as well.

Kori Creek, located in the Rann of Kutch marshlands, is a strategically sensitive zone forming part of the international maritime boundary between India and Pakistan. Although the area remains highly uninhabited till now, it also holds significant economic and ecological importance around the region.

The illegal entry of fishermen into the Indian waters has once again highlighted the challenges of border security in the region. This is not only vulnerable to infiltration but also lies at the heart of a decades-old territorial dispute.

Moreover, along with Sir Creek, the Kori Creek has also been a subject of contention between New Delhi and Islamabad, with disagreements over boundary demarcation carrying implications for maritime rights and resource control.

BSF officials have also asserted that "heightened surveillance continues in the sensitive region to prevent such incursions," as cited by news agency ANI.

Earlier, the BSF had also intercepted a similar infiltration bid by apprehending Pakistani nationals in the Kori Creek area.

These events show that the Kutch's Creek region still has a lot of security problems. These problems are made worse by the area's unclear maritime borders, dense marshland, and lack of physical markings, which make patrolling and enforcement very hard.

(With inputs from ANI)