A New Flashpoint in the Rann of Kutch

The fragile calm along the India-Pakistan maritime boundary has been disrupted once again. Both nations have launched near-simultaneous military exercises in and around the sensitive Sir Creek region — a 96-kilometre-long estuary separating India’s Gujarat from Pakistan’s Sindh province. The overlapping drills have amplified regional tensions, reviving one of South Asia’s oldest and most unresolved territorial disputes.

The Sir Creek Dispute and Its Strategic Weight

Sir Creek, a narrow stretch of marshy estuary within the Rann of Kutch, has remained a bone of contention between India and Pakistan since the Partition of 1947. The dispute centres around differing interpretations of colonial-era maps, determining where the boundary line should fall — and, by extension, who controls the adjoining maritime areas.

This line is not merely symbolic. The demarcation determines each country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), impacting access to potential offshore oil and gas fields, fishing rights, and maritime trade routes.

Strategically, Sir Creek also provides an entryway to the Arabian Sea, making it militarily sensitive for both sides. Periodic skirmishes and maritime detentions of fishermen highlight the enduring volatility of the region, where the line between military preparedness and provocation remains dangerously thin.

Operation Trishul: India’s Assertive Signal

India recently initiated Operation Trishul, a tri-service military exercise that brought together the Army, Navy, and Air Force to demonstrate integrated combat readiness. Conducted near Sir Creek, the operation featured Rafale fighter jets, guided-missile destroyers, and special forces units, reflecting India’s growing emphasis on joint operations and deterrence.

ISRO-enabled surveillance systems and advanced communication networks played a key role in monitoring the coastal region, highlighting India’s technological edge in maritime intelligence.

The timing and location of Trishul are significant. By staging such exercises near Sir Creek, India reinforced its sovereignty claims and projected confidence in defending its western frontier. It also follows India’s earlier Operation Sindoor—a counterterrorism mission conducted earlier in 2025—demonstrating continuity in its assertive national security posture.

Pakistan’s Naval Response: Matching India’s Moves

Days after Trishul commenced, Pakistan’s Navy announced its own naval readiness drills in the same maritime zone. While officially described as routine, the timing was unmistakably strategic. The exercises showcased Pakistan’s surface vessels, submarines, and maritime patrol aircraft, signalling operational strength and deterrence.

Islamabad’s actions reflect growing unease over India’s military modernization and its assertive presence near contested waters. The drills also serve a dual purpose — boosting domestic morale while reaffirming to allies like China and Turkey that Pakistan remains an active regional player capable of defending its interests.

Escalation Risks and Regional Implications

The overlapping exercises have raised serious concerns of miscalculation or accidental escalation in one of the world’s most militarized borders. Both India and Pakistan are nuclear-armed, and even minor incidents in such high-tension zones risk spiralling into broader confrontations.

Moreover, the standoff complicates maritime cooperation in shared economic zones, affecting energy exploration and fishing industries. The renewed friction also reverberates through the wider Indo-Pacific security architecture, where regional stability is critical for global trade routes passing through the Arabian Sea.

Strategic Signalling in a Fragile Landscape

The back-to-back military drills by India and Pakistan near Sir Creek underline the enduring fragility of South Asia’s security equation. For India, Operation Trishul serves as a demonstration of technological capability and territorial resolve; for Pakistan, its naval exercises are a counter-display of defiance and deterrence.

Yet beneath these tactical manoeuvres lies a deeper truth — that the Sir Creek dispute remains a symbol of unfulfilled diplomacy between the two neighbours. Sustained dialogue, military de-escalation mechanisms, and renewed trust-building measures are crucial to preventing this maritime rivalry from spilling into confrontation.

Until such diplomatic engagement resumes, Sir Creek will continue to reflect not just the tides of the Arabian Sea, but the undercurrents of tension that define Indo-Pak relations.

(With agency inputs)