The Indian Naval Ship Sumitra has rescued Fishing Vessel (FV) Al Naeemi and her crew of 19 Pakistani nationals from 11 Somali Pirates.

This is the second hijack attempt in two consecutive days as on January 28; earlier the Indian Navy had carried out an anti-piracy operation on Iranian fishing vessel (FV) Iman off East Coast of Somalia.

INS Sumitra, the Indian Navy’s indigenous Offshore Patrol Vessel, had been deployed for anti-piracy and Maritime Security Operations in East of Somalia and Gulf of Aden in Southern Arabian Sea approximately 850 nm West of Kochi, and prevented misuse of these Fishing Vessels as Mother Ships for further acts of Piracy on Merchant Vessels. It has successfully, in the course of 36 hours through persistent and swift efforts, rescued two hijacked fishing vessels in the Southern Arabian Sea.

The warship on PM 28 Jan 24 had responded to a distress message on hijacking of an Iranian flagged fishing vessel Iman, which had been boarded by pirates and its  crew taken as hostages.

The FV was intercepted by INS Sumitra and following the SOPs and coercive posturing the vessel and her crew (17 Iranian Nationals) were safely rescued in the early hours of 29 Jan 24. FV Iman was sanitised and released for onward transit.

In less than 36 hours INS Sumitra was again pressed into action to locate and intercept another Iranian flagged fishing vessel Al Naeemi, which had been boarded by pirates and her crew taken hostage.

Sumitra intercepted the FV on PM 29 Jan 24 and through coercive posturing and effective deployment of her integral helo and boats compelled safe release of the crew and the vessel. The ship also undertook confirmatory boarding to sanitise and check safety of crew held captive by Somali pirates .

Continuous attacks on merchant vessels by Iran backed Yemen’s Houthi militia in the Red Sea post Israel-Hamas war in October 2023 has forced major shipping companies to either suspend or change their operations in the Red Sea.