Pak Navy to command international Gulf taskforce

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Navy was on Monday handed over command of the Combined Task Force (CTF) 150, the international flotilla in the Middle East, which is part of the global war on terror.

A formal ceremony for handing over of the command took place in Bahrain. Rear Admiral Shahid Iqbal is the new commander of the force, a statement said.

CTF-150 is responsible for operations in the Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea and the North Arabian Sea.

This is the first time the Pakistan Navy is at the helm of this important task force. Other members of the force are UK, US, France, Australia, Italy, Japan, Germany, Spain and Holland.

The task force was set up under the UN Security Council resolution No 1373 in September 2001. CTF-150 is part of regional maritime security operations that preserve the free and secure use of the world's oceans for legitimate mariners and prevent terrorists from using the world's oceans unchecked.