Indian Navy announced on Tuesday that it successfully liberated a vessel, carrying at least 19 Pakistani nationals, which had been hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia in the recent surge of attacks in the Indian Ocean.
This marks the second operation within two days by the Indian Navy, as they had previously freed an Iranian fishing vessel from the same waters on Monday.
A spokesperson for the Indian Navy posted on X that the warship INS Sumitra completed another anti-piracy operation, rescuing the vessel with 19 Pakistani crew members from the clutches of 11 Somali pirates. The vessel had been hijacked off the east coast by armed Somali pirates.
#INSSumitra Carries out 2nd Successful #AntiPiracy Ops – Rescuing 19 Crew members & Vessel from Somali Pirates.
Having thwarted the Piracy attempt on FV Iman, the warship has carried out another successful anti-piracy ops off the East Coast of Somalia, rescuing Fishing Vessel Al… https://t.co/QZz9bCihaU pic.twitter.com/6AonHw51KX— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) January 30, 2024
The spokesperson emphasized the significance of preventing the misuse of fishing vessels as mother ships for further acts of piracy on merchant vessels through these swift and relentless efforts.
Recent activities in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, particularly Yemen’s Houthi rebel attacks targeting Israeli-linked vessels, have prompted concerns. International naval forces, previously focused on the Gulf of Aden, have been diverted north, potentially creating a security gap that pirates could exploit. December saw the first successful case of Somali piracy since 2017.
In a separate incident, Seychellois special military forces courageously boarded a hijacked boat to take control and rescue Sri Lankan individuals. The boat, named Lorenzo Putha-4–4, was seized by Somali pirates 840 nautical miles southeast of Mogadishu. Seychelles authorities were informed promptly, and the vessel is en route to Victoria.
Pirate attacks off the Somali coast peaked in 2011 before declining significantly in recent years. However, last month witnessed the hijacking of the bulk carrier MV Ruen by Somali pirates, who took the vessel and its 17 remaining crew members to Somalia’s semi-autonomous state of Puntland. The Indian navy, engaged in the region, played a role in the release of one injured sailor from MV Ruen.
