Pakistan fishing boat explodes

Pakistan fishing boat explodes- Unique Times

A Pakistani fishing boat laden with explosives bound for India blew up, killing all four people on board, after the Indian Coast Guard tried to stop and search it, the Indian government said on Friday.

It was not possible to independently verify the Indian account. In a first reaction, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said it was unclear whether the incident had happened at all.

Indian intelligence said the crew was planning “an illicit transaction” when the vessel was intercepted on New Year’s Eve in the Arabian Sea, 365 km off India’s western coast, according to a government statement.

India put security agencies on nationwide alert for a militant strike last month in the lead-up to a visit by U.S. President Barack Obama at the end of January.

Ajay Kumar Pandey, a spokesman for the Indian Coast Guard, declined to comment when asked whether the explosives believed to be on board the boat, which sank, were intended for use in a possible attack.

Denisha Sahadevan