Indian Navy Rescues Pakistani Fishing Vessels With 19 Crew From Somali Pirates
Defense News ,India :- In an official announcement, the Indian Navy reported a successful rescue operation conducted by the warship INS Sumitra on Monday. The mission involved thwarting a plot to hijack the Iranian-flagged fishing vessel Al Naeemi off the East Coast of Somalia, ultimately saving 19 Pakistani nationals who had been taken hostage by pirates.
This marked the second rescue operation in as many days for the Indian Navy, following the successful anti-piracy operation that saved 17 crew members on the Iranian-flagged fishing vessel FV Iman along the east coast of Somalia and the Gulf of Aden.
The INS Sumitra, acting in accordance with established procedures, successfully coerced the pirates into releasing the crew and the boat. Afterward, a confirmatory boarding was conducted to ensure the well-being of the crew members who had been held captive by Somali pirates.
In a tweet, the Indian Navy stated that "INS Sumitra, over the course of less than 36 hours, through swift, persistent and relentless efforts has rescued two hijacked Fishing Vessels along with 36 Crew (17 Iranian and 19 Pakistani) in Southern Arabian Sea approximately 850 nm West of Kochi, and prevented misuse of these Fishing Vessels as Mother Ships for further acts of Piracy on Merchant Vessels."
Prior to this, the INS Visakhapatnam, a guided missile destroyer on an anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden, responded effectively to a distress call from the Marshall Island-flagged MV Genco Picardy. The vessel had been targeted in a drone attack on the night of January 17. The INS Visakhapatnam intercepted the vessels at midnight on January 18, 2024, providing immediate assistance and showcasing the Indian Navy's rapid and effective response capabilities.
#INSSumitra Carries out 2nd Successful #AntiPiracy Ops – Rescuing 19 Crew members & Vessel from Somali Pirates.
— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) January 30, 2024
Having thwarted the Piracy attempt on FV Iman, the warship has carried out another successful anti-piracy ops off the East Coast of Somalia, rescuing Fishing Vessel Al… https://t.co/QZz9bCihaU pic.twitter.com/6AonHw51KX
