New Delhi: In response to a pirate attack in the Arabian Sea, the Indian Navy successfully carried out an anti-piracy operation that lasted over 12 hours. During this operation, an Iranian fishing vessel named ‘Al-Kambar 786’ and its crew of 23 Pakistani nationals were rescued. The Navy stated that upon receiving information about a potential piracy incident, two Indian Naval ships, which were already deployed in the Arabian Sea for maritime security operations, were redirected to intercept the hijacked fishing vessel. Following the implementation of intense tactical measures in accordance with standard operating procedures, the pirates on board the hijacked vessel were compelled to surrender. The crew members were safely rescued and are now out of harm’s way.
The Indian naval teams proceeded to sanitize the vessel thoroughly and assess its seaworthiness in order to safely escort it back, allowing for the resumption of normal fishing activities, as mentioned.
On March 29, INS Sumedha intercepted the fishing vessel, FV Al-Kambar in the early hours following a distress call, and was later joined by the guided missile frigate INS Trishul.
The vessel was around 90 nautical miles southwest of Socotra, an island of Yemen in the Indian Ocean, when nine armed pirates reportedly boarded it.
Earlier this month, the Indian Navy conducted another bold operation and intercepted a ship named Ruen, sailing nearly 2,600 km from the Indian Coast when pirates attacked it. The Navy compelled the pirate ship to halt through calculated actions.
During the 40-hour rescue mission, INS Kolkata effectively compelled all 35 pirates to surrender and ensured the safe evacuation of 17 crew members from the vessel without any injuries.
In a separate operation, the Navy swiftly responded to a distress call from the Gulf of Aden where a merchant vessel caught fire after being struck by a missile, and rescued 21 crew members, including an Indian. “The Indian Navy remains dedicated to ensuring maritime security in the region and the safety of seafarers, regardless of nationalities,” it stated.