Indian Navy Safely Rescues 23 Pakistani Crew Members from Hijacked Fishing Vessel

The Indian Navy successfully rescued 23 Pakistani nationals from a hijacked Iranian fishing vessel after conducting over 12 hours of “intense coercive tactical measures” as part of an anti-piracy operation.

According to an official statement released by the Navy’s spokesperson, the fishing vessel ‘Al Kambar’ was hijacked by nine armed Somali pirates. The operation involved the interception of the vessel by INS Sumedha during the early hours of Friday, with INS Trishul later joining the effort.

After implementing rigorous tactical measures in accordance with standard operating procedures (SOPs), the pirates on board the hijacked fishing vessel were compelled to surrender. All 23 Pakistani crew members were safely rescued.

The Indian Navy reiterated its commitment to ensuring maritime security in the region and the safety of seafarers, regardless of their nationalities.

The incident occurred approximately 90 nautical miles southwest of Socotra, an archipelago in the northwest Indian Ocean near the Gulf of Aden. Indian naval specialist teams are currently conducting thorough sanitisation and seaworthiness checks on the fishing vessel to prepare it for escorting to a safe area for resuming normal fishing activities.

This successful rescue comes after an earlier interception by the Indian Navy of the pirate ship Ruen, which was under attack and sailing nearly 2600 kilometers from the Indian coast. The Navy intervened and compelled the pirate ship to halt its activities.

These operations underscore the Indian Navy’s commitment to combatting piracy and ensuring maritime security in the region, safeguarding the lives of seafarers and maintaining the integrity of international waters.