Navy rescues vessel with 19 Pakistani nationals hijacked by armed Somali pirates
The Indian Navy’s warship INS Sumitra has successfully carried out another anti-piracy operation and rescued a vessel carrying 19 Pakistani nationals.
That was hijacked by armed Somali pirates off the east coast of Somalia. INS Sumitra thwarted a piracy attempt on a fishing vessel, Al Naeemi, and rescued 19 Pakistani crew members from 11 Somali pirates, the Navy spokesperson wrote on X.
INS Sumitra, which had rescued an Iranian-flagged vessel, MV Iman, from a piracy attempt earlier, was sent again by the Indian Navy to locate and intercept Al Naeemi, which had been boarded by pirates and her crew taken hostage.
Responding swiftly to the developing situation, INS Sumitra intercepted the Al Naeemi on Monday through coercive posturing and effective deployment of her integral helo and boats, the Navy spokesperson said. The actions ensured the safe release of the crew and her vessel, he added.
The Indian Navy warship undertook confirmatory boarding to sanitise and check on the well-being of the Pakistani crew who were held captive by the Somali pirates.
“This rescue of hijacked vessels through swift, persistent and relentless efforts by the mission deployed Indian Navy warship in the Southern Arabian Sea, approximately 850 nautical miles west of Kochi, also prevents the misuse of fishing vessels as mother ships for further acts of piracy on merchant vessels,” the Navy spokesperson said.
Earlier on Monday, INS Sumitra rescued MV Iman after the fishing vessel was hijacked by Somalian pirates who took the ship’s 17-member crew hostage. The Indian Navy warship was deployed on anti-piracy operations along the east coast of Somalia and the Gulf of Aden.
The fishing vessel was subsequently sanitised and released for onward transit.
The recent incident is part of an ongoing sequence of drone and pirate attacks targeting merchant vessels within the region, including the Red Sea and segments of the Arabian Sea.
Several merchant vessels have been targeted by Iran-backed Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the Red Sea with missiles and drones following the Isreal-Hamas war which began on October 7, 2023. The continuous attacks by Houthis have forced several shipping companies to either suspend or change the course of their operations in the Red Sea.
The Indian Navy has significantly increased its surveillance apparatus in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden by deploying frontline destroyers and frigates in view of the recent attacks on merchant vessels.