NEW DELHI: In another swift operation on the high seas, an Indian warship intercepted an Iranian-flagged fishing vessel hijacked by pirates along the east coast of Somalia and ensured the safe release of all 17 crew members on Monday morning.
Patrol vessel INS Sumitra responded to a distress message about the hijacking of fishing vessel Iman, which had been boarded by pirates who took the crew hostage late on Sunday night.
INS Sumitra intercepted the vessel and “acted in accordance with the established SOPs (standard operating procedures) to coerce the pirates for safe release of crew along with the boat”, a Navy officer said. “The action led to the pirates fleeing the vessel in their skiffs ,” he said.
The mission-deployed Indian warships on anti-piracy and maritime security operations in the Indian Ocean Region symbolise the Navy’s resolve towards safety of all vessels and seafarers at sea, he added.
The latest operation comes two days after Indian guided-missile destroyer INS Visakhapatnam had come to the aid of Marshall Island-flagged tanker Marlin Luanda hit by an anti-ship ballistic missile fired by Houthi rebels of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden.
Escalating attacks by Houthi rebels and Somali pirates on merchant ships transiting through Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea had disrupted maritime trade between Europe and Asia over the last few months.
Patrol vessel INS Sumitra responded to a distress message about the hijacking of fishing vessel Iman, which had been boarded by pirates who took the crew hostage late on Sunday night.
INS Sumitra intercepted the vessel and “acted in accordance with the established SOPs (standard operating procedures) to coerce the pirates for safe release of crew along with the boat”, a Navy officer said. “The action led to the pirates fleeing the vessel in their skiffs ,” he said.
The mission-deployed Indian warships on anti-piracy and maritime security operations in the Indian Ocean Region symbolise the Navy’s resolve towards safety of all vessels and seafarers at sea, he added.
The latest operation comes two days after Indian guided-missile destroyer INS Visakhapatnam had come to the aid of Marshall Island-flagged tanker Marlin Luanda hit by an anti-ship ballistic missile fired by Houthi rebels of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden.
Escalating attacks by Houthi rebels and Somali pirates on merchant ships transiting through Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea had disrupted maritime trade between Europe and Asia over the last few months.
