INS Sumitra carries out its second successful anti-piracy operation and rescues 19 crew members and a vessel from armed Somali pirates
The Indian Naval vessel INS Sumitra, after successfully preventing a piracy attempt on the Iranian fishing vessel Iman, has executed another anti-piracy mission off the East Coast of Somalia. In this operation, it rescued the Fishing Vessel Al Naeemi and its crew, comprising 19 Pakistani nationals, from a group of 11 Somali pirates.
The Indian Navy’s indigenous Offshore Patrol Vessel, INS Sumitra, was deployed for Anti-Piracy and Maritime Security Operations in the vicinity of Somalia and the Gulf of Aden. On the evening of 28 January, the warship responded to a distress call reporting the hijacking of an Iranian-flagged Fishing Vessel (FV) Iman, where pirates had boarded the vessel and taken the crew as hostages. INS Sumitra successfully intercepted the fishing vessel using standard operating procedures and employing coercive tactics, according to an Indian Navy statement. In the early hours of 29 January, the ship and its crew consisting of 17 Iranian nationals) were safely rescued. Following the rescue operation, FV Iman was thoroughly sanitized and released for onward transit.
Following the initial operation, INS Sumitra promptly mobilized once again to track down and intercept another Iranian-flagged fishing vessel, Al Naeemi, which had fallen prey to pirates, resulting in the abduction of its crew comprising 19 Pakistani nationals. Acting swiftly in response to the evolving situation, Sumitra intercepted the Fishing Vessel on the evening of 29 January. Employing coercive tactics and effectively utilising its onboard helicopter and boats, the warship compelled the safe release of both the crew and the vessel. The ship conducted confirmatory boarding to sanitise the area and assess the well-being of the crew team, who had been held captive by the Somali pirates, stated the Indian Navy.
In less than 36 hours, INS Sumitra, employing rapid, unwavering, and persistent efforts, successfully rescued two hijacked fishing vessels and 36 crew members (17 Iranian and 19 Pakistani) in the Southern Arabian Sea, approximately 850 nautical miles west of Kochi. Notably, the interventions by INS Sumitra thwarted the potential misuse of these fishing vessels as mother ships for further acts of piracy on merchant vessels.
Team BharatShakti