Iran-flagged fishing vessel Iman. (Photo via special arrangement.)
New Delhi: The Indian Navy foiled yet another hijacking attempt by suspected Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden-northern Arabian Sea region. This time, the Navy’s INS Sumitra, a Saryu-class patrol vessel, and its personnel were involved.
INS Sumitra, which is deployed on anti-piracy operations along Somalia’s east coast and the Gulf of Aden, responded to a mayday call from an Iran-flagged fishing vessel, Iman, when pirates boarded the boat and took its crew hostage, the Navy said in a news release on Monday.
INS Sumitra intercepted the vessel and acted in accordance with the established standard operating procedures to secure the release of the boat along with the crew.
According to the Navy’s statement, INS Sumitra coerced the pirates to release all the 17 hostages along with the boat. Navy personnel on board INS Sumitra then sanitized the fishing vessel and released it for onward transit.
Earlier this month, the Navy’s MARCOS commandos thwarted the hijacking attempt of a Liberia-flagged commercial ship, MV Lila Norfolk, in the northern Arabian Sea. At that time, a Navy’s guided-missile destroyer, INS Chennai, and an aircraft were involved.
Since the Yemeni Houthi group Ansar Allah has threatened to strike Israel-linked ships in the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea because of Israel’s relentless military campaign against Palestinians in Gaza, global commercial shipping has been impacted in a major way in the Red Sea-Gulf of Aden-north and central Arabian Sea maritime lanes. Somali pirates, who have been inactive for almost six years, suddenly have become active taking advantage of the volatile situation in the region.
Keeping in view to maintain maritime security, the Indian Navy has stepped up its surveillance and patrolling in the region.
