An Indian naval warship swift response ensured safe release of hijacked Iranian flagged fishing vessel and crew taken hostage by pirates off the Somalia coast. The hijacking is the latest in a series of drone and pirate attacks on merchant vessels in the region, including the Red Sea and Arabian Sea of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
The Saryu class patrol vessel and presidential yacht INS Sumitra on anti - piracy and maritime surveillance deployment, responding to distress call by Iranian fishing vessel (FV) Imam hijacked by pirates along the East coast of Somalia and the Gulf of Aden, rushed to the rescue of the fishermen held hostage.
“INS Sumitra intercepted the vessel and acted in accordance with the established SOPs to coerce the pirates for safe release of the crew along with the boat,” confirmed Indian Navy spokesperson adding that INS Sumitra ensured successful release of all 17 crew members and the fishing vessel. The vessel was subsequently sanitised and released for onward transit.
350 Indians Rescued In 2015 Operation Rahat
Earlier in 2015 INS Sumitra and her crew had rescued and evacuated 350 Indian citizens stranded in Yemen from the port of Aden and Djibouti across the Red Sea in Operation Rahat launched by India while Saudi Arabia-led forces were conducting air strikes against Houthi rebels.
Indian Navy has increased presence in the troubled waters of Red Sea in the Indian Ocean Region to deter piracy and terror attacks with drones and missiles on commercial shipping.
The continuous attacks on merchant vessels targeted by Iran-backed Yemen's Houthi militia in the Red Sea with missiles and drones following the Isreal-Hamas war which began on October last year has forced major shipping companies to either suspend or change the course of their operations in the Red Sea.
