New Delhi:

An Indian Coast Guard vessel intercepted a Pakistani fishing boat in the Arabian Sea on Wednesday after the craft was detected intruding into Indian territorial waters, authorities confirmed Thursday.

The boat, identified as the Al-Madina, was carrying nine crew members at the time of its capture.

According to senior Coast Guard officials, the vessel was first spotted on Jan. 14 near the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL). When signalled to stop, the boat "attempted to flee" back toward Pakistani waters, prompting what officials described as a "swift and precise night operation" to board and seize the craft.

The Al-Madina is currently being towed to the port of Porbandar in Gujarat. Once there, it will undergo a "thorough rummaging" as part of a joint interrogation of the crew by various security and intelligence agencies.

In a statement, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) said the operation "reaffirms the ICG's unwavering commitment to secure India's maritime frontiers through relentless vigil and law enforcement across the nation’s maritime domain."

With inputs from PTI