Indian warship rescues Iranian vessel hijacked off Somalia coast

New Delhi: The Indian Navy's INS Sumitra on Monday safely rescued fishermen hijacked by pirates along the East coast of Somalia and the Gulf of Aden, Defence officials said.

Deployed there on anti-piracy operations, INS Sumitra ensured the safe release of a hijacked Iranian-flagged Fishing Vessel (FV) named Iman following a distressed message.

According to officials, the vessel was boarded by Somalian pirates and its 17-member crew was taken hostage.

"INS Sumitra, on anti-piracy operations along the East Coast of Somalia and the Gulf of Aden, responded to a distress message regarding the hijacking of an Iranian-flagged Fishing Vessel Iman. The vessel had been boarded by pirates and the crew was taken as hostages," Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said.

INS Sumitra intercepted the vessel and acted as per the established SOPs to coerce the pirates for the safe release of the crew along with the boat, Madhwal said. The fishing vessel was subsequently sanitised and released for onward transit. "Mission deployed Indian naval ships on anti-piracy and maritime security operations in the Indian Ocean region symbolises the Indian Navy's resolve towards safety of all vessels and seafarers at sea," Madhwal added.

The recent incident is part of an ongoing sequence of drone and pirate attacks targeting merchant vessels within the region, including the Red Sea and segments of the Arabian Sea.

Several merchant vessels have been targeted by Iran-backed Yemen's Houthi militia in the Red Sea with missiles and drones following the Israel-Hamas war which began on October 7, 2023. The continuous attacks by Houthi rebels have forced several shipping companies to either suspend or change the course of their operations in the Red Sea.

The Indian Navy has significantly increased its surveillance apparatus in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden by deploying frontline destroyers and frigates in view of the recent attacks on merchant vessels.