The Indian Navy rescued at least 23 Pakistani fishermen from Somali pirates during a 12-hour-long operation in the Arabian Sea. “After more than 12 hrs of intense coercive tactical measures as per the SOPs, the pirates on board the hijacked FV were forced to surrender. The crew, comprising 23 Pakistani nationals, have been safely rescued,” the Indian Navy said in a statement.
The rescue mission unfolded in the early hours of March 29. Indian Navy warship INS Sumedha intercepted the hijacked vessel FV Al-Kambar. Missile frigate INS Trishul soon joined the operation.
The Indian Navy, without any bloodshed, coerced the Somali pirates to surrender. This is the second operation where the Indian Navy has coerced pirates to surrender without any bloodshed. Earlier this month, Indian Navy coerced over 30 Somalian pirates to surrender and rescued the crew without any firefight or bloodshed. The INS Kolkata coerced all 35 pirates to surrender and safely evacuated the 17 crew members from the merchant vessel which pirates were using as a mother ship.
The Indian Navy on Friday responded to the piracy attack on an Iranian fishing vessel in the Arabian Sea. It said at the time that two naval ships were diverted to intercept the hijacked vessel after receiving inputs regarding the piracy incident on-board the Iranian fishing vessel.
At the time of the incident, the Iranian fishing vessel was approximately 90 nautical miles southwest of Socotra and nine armed pirates had boarded the fishing vessel. The hijacked vessel was intercepted on March 29.
“The Indian Navy remains committed to ensuring maritime security in the region and safety of seafarers, irrespective of their nationalities,” the Indian Navy further added.
The Indian Navy has carried out several operations to thwart piracy in the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
The Indian Navy earlier this year also responded to a distress call from the Gulf of Aden where a merchant vessel was set ablaze after being hit by a missile. The navy rescued the 21 crew members which also contained one Indian national.
“The Indian Navy is committed to maintaining maritime security and ensuring the safety of seafarers navigating through these perilous waters. This action by the Indian Navy serves as a testament to India’s resolve to combat piracy and uphold international maritime laws,” The Indian Navy said in a statement.
