Indian Navy Warship Rescues Hijacked Fishing Vessel From Somali Pirates In Arabian Sea

Indian Navy warship INS Sumitra has rescued a fishing vessel Iman from Somali pirates, Indian Defence officials said on Monday.

"The INS Sumitra has now moved out from the area. The ALH Dhruv choppers on board the warship had encircled the hijacked vessel to issue warnings to the pirates on board it," Indian Defence officials said.

The Iranian fishing vessel MV Iman with around 17 crew members was hijacked by Somali pirates 700 nautical miles west of Kochi in the Arabian Sea.

Giving details on the "swift response by Indian Navy's warship, the official account of the force said a distress message regarding hijacking of the Iranian-flagged Fishing Vessel (FV) Iman was received, adding that the vessel was boarded by pirates and the crew taken hostage.

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 FV was subsequently sanitised and released for onward transit," the Indian Navy said.

On January 18, Indian Navy's warship INS Visakhapatnam responded to a drone attack on a merchant vessel 60 nautical miles South of Port Aden. The attack of "bomb-carrying" drones was carried out by Houthi rebels in response to the US and UK strikes, reports said.

The Indian Navy, in a statement, said INS Visakhapatnam responded to a distress call and intercepted the vessels at 12:30 am on January 18 to provide assistance.

"MV Genco Picardy with 22 crew (09 Indian) reported nil casualties and fire under control," Navy said in the statement.

ALSO READ: Indian Navy Comes To Rescue Of US-Owned Ship Under Houthi Drone Attack Near Yemen Port

After intercepting the vessel, MV Genco Picardy, bomb experts boarded the ship to inspect the damaged area, Navy said, adding that specialists, conducted a thorough inspection and then rendered the area safe for further transit.

"The vessel is proceeding to the next port of call," the Navy said.

The Port of Aden is a key Yemeni port, situated in Aden on the Gulf of Aden, and is the largest ports in Yemen. The Port of Aden is situated approximately 170 km east of the strait of Bab Al Mandeb, which connects the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea.