New Delhi, India

The Indian Navy on Friday (Mar 29) rescued 23 Pakistani nationals from a hijacked Iranian fishing vessel. The navy launched a 12-hour-long operation against Somali pirates and forced them to surrender even without firing a bullet.

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The operation began in the early hours on Friday as Indian Navy warship INS Sumedha caught the hijacked vessel ‘FV A1-Kambar’. The operation was soon joined by another Indian warship, INS Sumedha, eventually leading to one more successful operation against piracy in the Arabian Sea.

Ship guided to safe location

The navy detained the pirates and carried out an extensive sanitisation and inspection on board, to make sure the ship was safe to be guided towards a different location.

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According to media reports, nine pirates had boarded the Iranian vessel some 90 nautical miles southwest of Socotra Archipelago.

In an official statement, the Indian Navy said, “We remain committed to ensuring maritime security in the region and safety of seafarers, irrespective of nationalities."

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Also read: Indian Navy responds to potential piracy attack on Iranian fishing vessel in Arabian Sea

“The crew, comprising 23 Pakistani nationals, have been safely rescued,” a spokesperson of the navy said. “Indian Naval specialist teams are presently undertaking thorough sanitisation and seaworthiness checks of the FV in order to escort her to a safe area for resuming normal fishing activities,” the spokesperson said in an earlier statement.

Notably, the Indian Navy has carried out several high-octane operations against piracy attacks in the region, including the latest one during the early days of March.

Watch | Indian Navy hands over 35 Somali pirates to Mumbai police

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The navy intercepted the under-attack pirate ship, Ruen, sailing almost 2,600 km from the shores of the Indian Coast, and forced the pirate ship to stop through calibrated actions.

Navy's priorities

Earlier on March 28, Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff, said during an address at DSSC in Wellington that emphasis is being placed on making the navy Combat Ready, Credible, Cohesive, and Future-Proof force.

He also stressed the importance of the navy in protecting the country's trade and maritime interests. 

(With inputs from agencies)