Two Pakistan Navy personnel were martyred while patrolling at sea to ensure security, the Navy’s Directorate-General of Public Relations (DGPR) said on Wednesday.

“Shoaibur Rehman (PMA-IV) and Ghufran Nasar (PMT-II) embraced martyrdom while performing patrolling duties at sea to ensure security,” it said in a statement on X.

As per the statement, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf expressed deep sorrow over the loss of precious lives.

“Senior Pakistan Navy officials attended the funerals of martyred sailors and met their families,” it added.

In March this year, the Pakistan Navy had launched Operation Muhafizul Bahr to counter “multidimensional threats to national shipping and maritime trade”.

According to the Pakistan Navy, the decision — which followed the launch of the US-Iran war — was made in light of the “evolving regional maritime security environment and potential disruptions to critical sea lanes”.

The statement noted that with approximately 90 per cent of Pakistan’s trade conducted via sea, the operation aimed to ensure that vital sea routes remained safe, secure, and uninterrupted.