Operation reaches successful conclusion with the pirates' surrender, ensuring the safety and security of all six crew members
In a striking demonstration of international naval collaboration, the Indian Navy, alongside the Seychelles Defence Forces and the Sri Lanka Navy, orchestrated a successful rescue operation of the hijacked Sri Lanka-flagged fishing vessel, Lorenzo Putha 04.
 
According to information provided by India's Ministry of Defence, this incident, which took place approximately 955 nautical miles east of Mogadishu, Somalia, began on January 27, 2024, when three pirates commandeered the vessel.
 
With urgency and precision, the Indian Navy deployed INS Sharda from Kochi on January 28, leveraging the capabilities of the HALE Sea Guardian drone to locate and intercept the pirated craft. The operation was significantly enhanced by the seamless operational coordination and information exchange facilitated through the Sri Lanka and Seychelles International Liaison Officers at the Information Fusion Centre - Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) in New Delhi. 
 
This coordinated effort bore fruit on January 29, 2024, when the vessel was successfully intercepted by the Seychelles Coast Guard ship SCGS Topaz within the Seychelles' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
 
The operation reached a successful conclusion with the pirates' surrender to the Seychelles Coast Guard, ensuring the safety and security of all six crew members onboard the Lorenzo Putha 04. The vessel was then escorted to Mahé, Seychelles, signifying a considerable triumph in the realms of international maritime security and collaborative defence.
 
This rescue operation not only embosses the effective collaboration between the naval forces of India, Seychelles, and Sri Lanka but also emphasizes the critical role of information sharing and coordination in combating piracy and enhancing the safety of maritime navigation in the Indian Ocean region. It also marks the importance of international cooperation in maintaining security and peace in international waters, providing a blueprint for future collaborative efforts in the region.
 
The operation came around the same time that the Indian Navy Ship INS Sumitra successfully executed two anti-piracy operations off the East Coast of Somalia, rescuing a total of 36 crew members from the clutches of Somali pirates.
 
The first operation, conducted on the afternoon of January 28, 2024, saw the INS Sumitra responding to a distress call from the Iranian flagged Fishing Vessel (FV) Iman. The FV Iman had fallen prey to piracy, with its crew of 17 Iranian nationals taken hostage. 
 
In the wake of this operation, INS Sumitra, an indigenous Offshore Patrol Vessel of the Indian Navy, was quickly redeployed to address another crisis. This time, it was the Iranian flagged fishing vessel Al Naeemi that had been boarded by pirates, with its 19 Pakistani crew members held hostage.
 
Acting swiftly on this new development, INS Sumitra intercepted the FV Al Naeemi on the afternoon of January 29, 2024. The Indian Navy's strategic deployment of the ship's integral helicopter and boats played a critical role in compelling the pirates to release the crew and vessel without harm.