Indian Navy rescues 19 Pakistanis from Somali pirates

New Delhi: Indian warship INS Sumitra successfully rescued 19 Pakistani crew members from a fishing vessel that had come under attack by pirates on the east coast of Somalia, officials said on Tuesday. INS Sumitra, actively engaged in anti-piracy and maritime security operations in the east of Somalia and Gulf of Aden, had foiled a piracy attempt on the Iranian fishing vessel Iman the day before.

In yet another successful anti-piracy operation off the East Coast of Somalia, INS Sumitra rescued fishing vessel Al Naeemi and her 19 crew members from 11 Somali pirates on Monday, Indian Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said.

“INS Sumitra, over the course of less than 36 hours, through swift, persistent and relentless efforts has rescued two hijacked fishing vessels along with 36 crew (17 Iranian and 19 Pakistani) in Southern Arabian Sea approximately 850 nautical miles West of Kochi,” Madhwal said.

He said the Indian Navy has once again proved its commitment in the region to act against all maritime threats in order to ensure safety of all mariners and vessels at sea.