Another successful anti-piracy operation by the Indian Navy, 23 Pakistani crew members rescued
| 2024-03-30
The Indian Navy forced armed pirates on board FV Al-Kambar to surrender after a 12-hour operation on March 29, 2024.
INS Sumedha intercepted FV Al-Kambar during early hours of March 29, 2024
After forcing the surrender of nine armed pirates, specialist teams have completed sanitisation and seaworthiness checks of FV Al-Kambar, the Indian Navy said on Saturday (March 30, 2024).
The crew comprising 23 Pakistani nationals were given a thorough medical checkup prior to clearing the boat to continue with her fishing activities. The pirates are being brought to India for further legal action in accordance with the Maritime Anti-Piracy Act of 2022, the Indian Navy said.
The Indian Navy received inputs on a potential piracy incident onboard the Iranian fishing vessel approximately 90 nautical miles (nm) south west of Socotra late on the evening of March 28, 2024.
Two Indian Naval ships, which are mission-deployed in the Arabian Sea for maritime security operations, were diverted to intercept the hijacked fishing vessel, which was reported to have been boarded by nine armed pirates. An operation was subsequently launched to rescue the hijacked fishing vessel and its crew.
INS Sumedha intercepted FV Al-Kambar during the early hours of March 29, 2024. It was joined subsequently by the guided missile frigate INS Trishul.
The pirates on board the hijacked fishing vessel were forced to surrender after more than 12 hours of intense coercive tactical measures as per the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). The crew, comprising 23 Pakistani nationals, was safely rescued.
An Indian Navy specialist team thereafter undertook thorough sanitisation and seaworthiness checks of the fishing vessel in order to escort her to a safe area for resuming normal fishing activities.
The Indian Navy said it remains committed to ensuring maritime security in the region and safety of the seafarers, irrespective of their nationalities.
The latest in a series of positive interventions against hijacking attempts and drone attacks by pirates in the critical shipping lanes of the Arabian Sea, the operation by the Indian Navy has bolstered India’s role as a net security provider in the Indian Ocean Region.
Earlier this month, over a period of nearly 40 hours on March 15-16, 2024, teams of the Indian Navy carried out an unprecedented and successful anti-piracy operation nearly 1,400 nautical miles (2,600 km) from the Indian coastline. The operation, which saw the Indian Air Force (IAF) playing a key role, led to the surrender of all 35 Somali pirates who had captured ex-MV Ruen on December 14, 2023. The 17 crew members were also evacuated safely.
In January this year, in an impressive display of maritime vigilance and precision, Indian Naval 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.
In late 2023, the Indian Navy had substantially increased its maritime surveillance activity in the Central and North Arabian Sea region following a rise in drone attacks on merchant vessels transiting the region. This included deploying destroyers and frigates to counter the threat.
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