Indian Navy’s MARCOS commandos with captured Somali pirates on board FV Al-Kambar. (Photo: Indian Navy)
New Delhi: In yet another major anti-piracy operation, the Indian Navy successfully rescued the FV Al-Kambar 786, an Iranian fishing vessel, from Somali pirates in a dramatic operation in the Arabian Sea that concluded on Friday. The operation, which lasted over 12 hours, secured the safety of the 23-member Pakistani crew, and apprehended the nine pirates who had seized control of the vessel.
The hijacked ship was intercepted by the Indian Saryu-class patrol vessel INS Sumedha during the early hours of Friday and was joined subsequently by another warship, the guided-missile frigate INS Trishul. In a statement, the Navy said after more than 12 hours of intense coercive tactical measures following standard operating procedures (SOPs), the pirates on board the hijacked fishing vessel were forced to surrender.
The Navy has arrested the nine armed pirates who had hijacked the ship and they are being brought to India for further legal action in accordance with the Indian Maritime Anti-Piracy Act of 2023. The crew, comprising 23 Pakistani nationals, were given a thorough medical checkup prior to clearing the boat to continue with her fishing activities1.
After being rescued, the Pakistani nationals on board the vessel thanked the Navy and raised slogans of “India Zindabad” (long live India).
This successful operation by the Navy has been hailed as a significant achievement in the fight against piracy. However, this is not the first time the Navy has launched a successful anti-piracy operation in recent times. Less than a fortnight ago, the maritime force successfully rescued the Malta-flagged Bulgarian merchant ship MV Ruen and captured 35 Somali pirates who had hijacked it and was using it as a mother boat for carrying out acts of piracy in the southern Arabian Sea.
The captured pirates from MV Ruen have also been brought to India to face prosecution under the Maritime Anti-Piracy Act of 2023, as India Sentinels had reported. This Indian law provides a legal framework for prosecuting piracy-related acts within India’s jurisdiction. The law also provides for the death penalty in “exceptional cases”.
