The Indian Navy, rescued an Iranian fishing vessel after it was hijacked by pirates near the east coast of Somalia and Gulf of Eden. The mission was carried out after a distress message regarding the hijack of the vessel, Iman, was received. The crew was taken hostage when INS Sumitra received the distress message. The vessel was intercepted and coerced the pirates to release all the 19 Pakistanis aboard, as well as the boat.
The Somali pirates were 11 in number. The navy said in a statement, “INS Sumitra, post rescuing MV Iman, was again pressed into action to locate & intercept another Iranian flagged FV which had been boarded by pirates and her Crew taken hostage. Responding swiftly to the developing situation Sumitra intercepted the FV on PM 29 Jan 24 & through coercive posturing & effective deployment of her integral help & boats compelled the safe release of the crew and the vessel.”
According to reports, concerns about a resurgence of Indian Ocean pirate raids are on the rise. In response to Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza, Houthi gunmen often attack Israeli vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
Pirate attacks near the Somalia coast was at its peak in 2011 and only died down later when several countries began sending warships to the region, and commercial ships started deploying armed guards.