The Indian Navy has successfully carried out two anti-piracy operations within 36 hours and rescued two fishing vessels and 36 crew members from Somali pirates off the East Coast of Somalia. In both missions, the Navy coerced the pirates to safety release the vessels and the crew and prevented  misuse of these fishing vessels as Mother Ships for further acts of Piracy on Merchant Vessels.

In the first operation, INS Sumitra responded to a distress message on 28 January 2024 regarding hijacking of an Iranian flagged Fishing Vessel (FV) Iman, which had been boarded by pirates and the crew taken as hostages. INS Sumitra intercepted the vessel, acted in accordance with the established SOPs to coerce the pirates for safe release of crew along with the boat and ensured successful release of all 17 crew members along with the boat, the Indian Navy said. FV Iman was sanitised and released for onward transit. The crew were all Iranian nationals.

In the second operation, INS Sumitra responded to another distress message on 29th January to locate and intercept another Iranian flagged fishing vessel Al Naeemi, which had been boarded by pirates and her crew taken hostage. Through coercive posturing and effective deployment of her integral helo and boats compelled the safe release of the crew and the vessel. The ship also undertook confirmatory boarding to sanitise and also to check on the well-being of the crew who were held captive by the Somali pirates, the navy informed. The crew were all of Pakistani nationality.

Indian Navy’s indigenous Offshore Patrol Vessel, INS Sumitra, has been deployed for Anti-Piracy and Maritime Security Operations East of Somalia and Gulf of Aden.