Indian Navy Rescues Crew and Vessel from Pirates in Arabian Sea
Indian Navy’s Heroic Actions: Thwarting Pirates and Safeguarding Seas
In a recent operation, the Indian Navy’s warship INS Sumitra successfully thwarted a piracy attempt by armed Somali pirates in the Arabian Sea. The ship rescued 19 crew members and the fishing vessel Al Naeemi, which had fallen victim to 11 Somali pirates off the east coast of Somalia.
The INS Sumitra had earlier rescued the Iranian-flagged fishing vessel Iman with 17 crew members from Somali pirates during its anti-piracy operations. Following this success, the warship was again deployed to intercept another Iranian-flagged fishing vessel, FV Iman, which had been boarded by pirates, taking 19 Pakistani nationals hostage.
#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
Executing established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), INS Sumitra coerced the pirates into releasing the crew and the vessel through the effective deployment of its helicopter and boats. This operation occurred approximately 850 nautical miles west of Kochi in the Southern Arabian Sea.
The Indian Navy emphasized the importance of these swift and persistent efforts in preventing the misuse of fishing vessels as mother ships for further acts of piracy on merchant vessels. The rescued vessels were sanitized and released for onward transit.
This successful operation comes in the wake of recent incidents, including the INS Visakhapatnam extinguishing a fire on a commercial oil tanker struck by a missile in the Gulf of Aden. The Indian Navy has been actively involved in thwarting hijacking attempts and ensuring the safety of vessels and seafarers in the Indian Ocean region.