In 2nd Op in 2 days, INS Sumitra rescues 19 Pak sailors kidnapped by pirates
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Photo: Indian Navy
New Delhi: The Indian warship INS Sumitra saved 19 Pakistani sailors after pirates captured their fishing vessel off the east coast of Somalia on Monday. The warship carried out its second anti-piracy operation in 36 hours, according to the Indian Navy.
Eleven armed pirates boarded the Iranian-flagged fishing vessel FV Al Naeemi and kidnapped 19 crew members, all Pakistanis. The Navy warship intercepted the fishing vessel and forced the pirates to free the prisoners.
"Responding swiftly to the developing situation Sumitra intercepted the FV (fishing vessel) on PM 29 Jan 24 and through coercive posturing and effective deployment of her integral helo and boats compelled the safe release of the crew and the vessel," the Navy said in a statement, NDTV reported.
Navy personnel boarded the ship to assess the crew.
The rescue came a day after INS Sumitra reacted to an SOS call from another Iranian-flagged fishing vessel, FV Iman, which had been abducted by Somali pirates. The navy rescued the vessel's 17 Iranian crew members.
"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 the 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," the official statement said.
The Indian Navy's indigenous offshore patrol vessel, INS Sumitra, has been deployed for anti-piracy and maritime security operations in eastern Somalia and the Gulf of Aden.
Earlier, the Indian Navy's guided missile destroyer INS Visakhapatnam, which is currently on an anti-piracy deployment, had assisted in extinguishing a major flame onboard a merchant vessel after it was attacked by a missile in the Gulf of Aden on Saturday night.