The Indian navy were able to successfully rescue 19 Pakistani sailors when pirates hijacked their fishing vessel off the coast of Somalia.
This marked the second rescue operation in 36 hours by Indian warship INS Sumitra.
Previously, the vessel saved the 17-member Iranian crew of a ship also taken by pirates, according to the navy’s announcement.
India’s navy reacted to numerous distress calls from vessels and sailors in recent weeks.
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Ongoing assaults on vessels near Somalia’s coast raised fears of renewed pirate activity in the area.
INS Sumitra has been on maritime security duties along the east coast of Somalia and Gulf of Aden.
According to a navy statement, the vessel responded to a distress signal on January 28, intercepting an Iranian-flagged vessel. Naval officers then “persuaded the pirates for the safe release of crew along with the boat,” a post on X (formerly Twitter) mentioned.
Following the release of the 17 crew members, the ship was inspected and permitted to resume its journey. The statement didn’t mention the pirates’ status.
On Tuesday, INS Sumitra was redeployed “to locate and intercept another Iranian-flagged fishing vessel Al Naeemi,” the navy announced.
Navy personnel boarded the vessel to inspect it and check the crew’s condition.
The pirates’ status wasn’t specified, but an image on X showed armed Navy personnel overseeing men with bound hands.
On Saturday, Seychelles defense forces rescued six Sri Lankan fishermen from a hijacked vessel.
Increase in piracy activities off Somalia’s coast
Increased piracy off Somalia’s coast is attributed to disruptions in maritime security following attacks on ships in the Red Sea by the Houthis, an Iran-supported rebel group, per a Bloomberg report.
On January 26, the Indian Navy deployed INS Visakhapatnam in the Gulf of Aden after a distress call from Marlin Luanda, a tanker linked to the UK, which was ablaze for hours after a missile attack by the Houthis. French and US naval vessels also aided the ship.
In early January, Indian navy commandos rescued 21 crew members from a Liberian-flagged vessel attacked by pirates off Somalia’s coast.