Metropolis Desk-
On Friday, the Indian Navy said that it had released an Iranian fishing boat that had been taken over by nine armed pirates in the Arabian Sea, leaving the crew uninjured.
A statement from the navy late on Friday stated that on March 28, the fishing vessel Al-Kambar 786 was reportedly boarded by pirates while it was southwest of the Yemeni island of Socotra.
Following the ship’s intercept by the INS Sumedha and INS Trishul, the navy reported that “over 12 hours of intense coercive tactical measures” were necessary to force the pirates to surrender. It stated that the 23-person crew from Pakistan was safe.
The statement said, “In order to escort her to a safe area for the resumed normal fishing activities, Indian Naval specialist teams are presently undertaking thorough sanitization and seaworthiness checks of the fishing vessel.”
The Indian navy announced last week that it has responded to 18 incidents, boarding and examining over 1,000 vessels while rotating 5,000 men and 21 ships. Over a dozen warships have been deployed on certain days due to its unparalleled presence.
Pirates have carried out or attempted more than 20 hijackings since November, taking advantage of Western forces’ attention to defend shipping from attacks in the Red Sea by Houthi militants from Yemen who are backed by Iran. This has increased insurance and security costs and created a crisis for international shipping companies.
Source- Reuters
