Indian Navy rescues 23 Pakistani fishermen from Somali pirates In Arabian Sea
- In Reports
- 10:25 AM, Mar 30, 2024
- Myind Staff
The Indian Navy on Friday rescued 23 Pakistani nationals from a hijacked Iranian fishing vessel. The navy launched a 12-hour-long operation against Somali pirates and forced them to surrender even without firing a bullet.
“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 operation commenced during the early hours of March 29th when the Indian Navy's INS Sumedha intercepted the hijacked ship FV Al-Kambar. Shortly after, the missile frigate INS Trishul joined in the mission. They insisted the pirates surrender without a fight by starting negotiations with them. Later, the Somali pirates surrendered.
The navy detained the pirates and carried out an extensive sanitisation and inspection on board, to make sure the ship was safe to be guided towards a safe location.
On Friday evening, the Indian Navy redirected two naval vessels in response to a potential piracy incident involving an Iranian fishing vessel in the Arabian Sea. Upon receiving this information, two Indian Naval ships were dispatched for maritime security operations in the Arabian Sea to intercept the hijacked fishing vessel, as reported by ANI.
During the incident, nine armed pirates reportedly boarded the Iranian vessel, which was located about 90 nautical miles southwest of Socotra. The hijacked fishing vessel was caught on March 29.
“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.
This is the second operation where the Indian Navy has coerced pirates to surrender without any bloodshed. Earlier this month, the 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.
In an official statement, the Indian Navy said, “We remain committed to ensuring maritime security in the region and safety of seafarers, irrespective of nationalities."
Image source: ANI
Comments