Pakistan has increased its naval and aerial surveillance of the Arabian Sea in order to protect international shipping lanes, the navy announced on Sunday. The move comes in response to recent maritime security incidents in the Arabian Sea, including the interception of a Bahrain-bound bulk carrier by the Indian Navy warship. Pakistan Navy stated that it has deployed ships to ensure a permanent presence in the Arabian Sea and is conducting extensive air surveillance to monitor the safety of international sea lines of communications passing through its maritime area. This increased monitoring comes after a rise in hijacking and attempted hijacking of commercial ships in the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea, attributed to US-led anti-piracy naval forces diverting their attention to the Red Sea. In addition to Pakistan, India has also deployed ships in the region and announced plans to provide protective escorts to Indian container ships. Aerial surveillance by long-range maritime patrol aircraft and Remotely Piloted Aircrafts has also been enhanced to maintain complete maritime domain awareness.