PNS Zulfiqar (K265)

PNS Zulfiqar was a River-class frigate of the Pakistan Navy. Zulfiqar was damaged beyond repair by friendly fire by the aircraft of Pakistan Air Force which mistook it as a missile boat of the Indian Navy during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971

History
Originally built during World War II as HMS Deveron for the Royal Navy, she was transferred to the Royal Indian Navy in 1945 and being renamed HMIS Dhanush, on Partition she was transferred to the Royal Pakistan Navy and converted into a survey vessel being renamed Zulfiqar, she was decommissioned in 1983.

Operation Trident
The Pakistan Navy, on high alert as a result of the Operation Trident, raised a number of false alarms in the ensuing days about the presence of Indian Navy vessels off Karachi. One such false alarm was raised by a PIA Fokker Friendship reconnaissance aircraft carrying naval observers, in the early hours of 6 December 1971 which reported a Pakistan Navy frigate as a missile boat of the Indian Navy, in the area west of Cape Monze on the Pakistani coast.. The Pakistan Air Force giving air support to the Pakistan Navy at Karachi, had received the report. Clearance was given to attack by Cdre Bhombal from Pakstan Navy side.

At 0645 hrs, fighter jets were scrambled which strafed the vessel before it was identified as Pakistan Navy's own frigate Zulfiqar. As a result of this air strike the Zulfiqar took 900 hits of .50 ammo killing several officers and men, with many more injured. The air attack on Zulfiqar was halted after frantic efforts by Zulfiqars crew to identify itself as a PNS ship finally succeeded.

The whole incident was monitored by Indian Navy on radio and established a few facts to them:

→a.→It had happened in spite of Zulfiqar being anchored. It showed that PAF pilots couldnot even identify a frigate from missile boat.

→b.→It showed the fear, PN had for missile boats. This incident vindicated the debate to proceed with Ops Python, which was being debated after PAF attack on Okha on night of 5/6 Dec 71.It also prompted Pakistan Navy to bring back the Pakistani fleet closer to the Pakistani shore.