INS Sumitra, the Indian Navy’s indigenous offshore patrol vessel, had been deployed for anti-piracy and maritime security operations east of Somalia and the Gulf of Aden. It had Sunday responded to a distress message regarding the hijacking of an Iranian-flagged fishing vessel (FV) Iman, which had been boarded by pirates and the crew taken as hostages.

While the boat with 17 Iranian crew was successfully rescued, INS Sumitra was again pressed into action, to locate and intercept another Iranian-flagged fishing vessel Al Naeemi, which had been boarded by pirates and her crew of 19 Pakistani nationals taken hostage.

Responding swiftly, Sumitra intercepted the FV Monday, and through effective deployment of her integral helicopter and boats, compelled the safe release of the crew and the vessel, the Navy said in a statement.

It added that the ship also undertook confirmatory boarding to sanitise and also to check on the well-being of the crew who had been held captive by the Somali pirates.

INS Sumitra, over the course of less than 36 hours, through swift and relentless efforts, has rescued two hijacked fishing vessels along with 36 crew (17 Iranian and 19 Pakistani) in the Southern Arabian Sea, approximately 850 nm west of Kochi, and prevented misuse of these fishing vessels as mother ships for further acts of piracy on merchant vessels, the Navy said.

Along with the issue of piracy, which has once again reared its head in the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea, attacks on maritime commerce by Yemen-based Houthis, have forced the Navy to deploy at least 12 warships in the region.