- The fishing vessel ‘Al Kambar’ was, reportedly, hijacked by nine armed Somali pirates
NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, MARCH 30
The Indian Navy has freed an Iranian fishing vessel that was hijacked by pirates and rescued its crew of 23 Pakistani nationals, following “intense coercive tactical measures” as part of an anti-piracy operation at sea that lasted for more than 12 hours, officials said.
Following Friday’s operation, specialist teams from the Navy undertook a thorough sanitisation and seaworthiness check of the fishing vessel in order to escort it to a safe area for resuming normal fishing activities, according to an official statement shared by a Navy spokesperson.
The fishing vessel ‘Al Kambar’ was, reportedly, hijacked by nine armed Somali pirates.
“INS Sumedha intercepted FV ‘Al Kambar’ during early hours of Friday and was joined subsequently by the guided missile frigate INS Trishul,” said an official statement shared by the Navy’s spokesperson.
The Indian Navy rescued 23 Pakistani nationals from Somali pirates during a 12 hour long operation in the Arabian Sea.
Proud of you @indiannavy 🔥
Whereas the Pakistani Navy is trying to enter the Indian Ocean. 😂#IndianNavy pic.twitter.com/nbZm8qqtdk
— Radhika Chaudhary (@Radhika8057) March 30, 2024
“After more than 12 hours of intense coercive tactical measures as per the SOPs, the pirates on board the hijacked fishing vessel were forced to surrender. The crew, comprising 23 Pakistani nationals, have been safely rescued.”
The Indian Navy said it remains committed to ensuring maritime security in the region and safety of seafarers, “irrespective of the nationalities”.
The fishing vessel at the time of incident was approximately 90 Nm southwest of Socotra. The Socotra Archipelago is in the northwest Indian Ocean near the Gulf of Aden.
Indian naval specialist teams are undertaking thorough sanitisation and seaworthiness checks of the fishing vessel in order to escort her to a safe area for resuming normal fishing activities.
Earlier this month, the Indian Navy intercepted the under-attack pirate ship Ruen, sailing almost 2600km from the Indian coast, and forced the pirate ship to stop.
