The Navy warship intercepted the fishing vessel on Monday.
New Delhi:
Indian warship INS Sumitra rescued 19 Pakistani sailors after pirates hijacked their fishing vessel off the east coast of Somalia on Monday. This was the second anti-piracy operation carried out by the warship inside 36 hours, the Indian Navy stated.
Eleven armed pirates climbed onto the Iranian-flagged fishing vessel FV Al Naeemi and took 19 crew members – all Pakistanis – hostage. The Navy warship intercepted the fishing vessel and coerced the pirates to launch the hostages.
#INSSumitra Carries out 2nd Profitable #AntiPiracy Ops – Rescuing 19 Crew members & Vessel from Somali Pirates.
Having thwarted the Piracy try on FV Iman, the warship has carried out one other profitable anti-piracy ops off the East Coast of Somalia, rescuing Fishing Vessel Al… https://t.co/QZz9bCihaUpic.twitter.com/6AonHw51KX— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) January 30, 2024
”Responding swiftly to the creating scenario Sumitra intercepted the FV (fishing vessel) on PM 29 Jan 24 and thru coercive posturing and efficient deployment of her integral helo and boats compelled the secure launch of the crew and the vessel,” the Navy stated in an announcement
The Navy personnel boarded the vessel to examine on the crew.
The rescue comes a day after INS Sumitra responded to an SOS name by one other Iranian-flagged fishing vessel, FV Iman, which was hijacked by Somali pirates. The vessel’s 17 Iranian crew members have been rescued by the Navy.
”INS Sumitra, over the course of lower than 36 hours, by swift, persistent and relentless efforts has rescued two hijacked Fishing Vessels together with 36 Crew (17 Iranian and 19 Pakistani) in Southern Arabian Sea roughly 850 nm West of Kochi, and prevented misuse of those Fishing Vessels as Mom Ships for additional acts of Piracy on Service provider Vessels,” the official assertion stated.
INS Sumitra is Indian Navy’s indigenous offshore patrol vessel that has been deployed for anti-piracy and maritime safety operations in east of Somalia and Gulf of Aden.
Earlier, Indian Navy’s guided missile destroyer INS Visakhapatnam, which is presently on an anti-piracy mission, had helped extinguish a large blaze onboard a service provider vessel after it was struck by a missile within the Gulf of Aden on Saturday evening.