Tuesday, January 30, 2024
Year : 2, Issue : 5
In a second successful anti-piracy operation in 36 hours, an Indian naval warship foiled an attempt by pirates to hijack an Iranian-flagged fishing vessel off the east coast of Somalia and rescued 19 Pakistani crew members on board who were taken hostage by 11 Somali pirates, the Navy said today.
The warship INS Sumitra, was pressed into action to locate and intercept the fishing vessel Al Naeemi, which had been boarded by pirates, the Indian Defence Ministry said, reports our New Delhi correspondent.
INS Sumitra intercepted the fishing vessel and compelled the safe release of the crew and the vessel.
On January 28, the warship INS Sumitra, Indian Navy’s indigenous offshore patrol vessel, deployed east of Somalia and the Gulf of Aden, had freed an Iranian-flagged fishing vessel Iman which was taken over by pirates and took the crew hostage. “The Indian Navy has once again proved its commitment in the region to act against all maritime threats in order to ensure safety of all mariners and vessels at sea,” the ministry said.
The Red Sea and the region near the east coast of Somalia, a busy shipping route for global commerce, has recently seen a surge in piracy attempts and drone attacks allegedly by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Israeli-linked merchant ships.
