Patrol vessel INS Sharda intercepted Omari in the early hours on Friday and then used her Chetak helicopter and boats with marine commandos “to coerce” the seven Somali pirates into safely releasing the crew of 11 Iranians and eight Pakistanis, an officer said.
“The marine commandos also undertook confirmatory boarding on FV Omari to sanitise and check on the well-being of the crew who had been held captive by the Somali pirates,” he added.
Indian unmanned aerial vehicles had earlier successfully located FV Omari after receiving information about the hijack. INS Sharda, deployed for anti-piracy mission in the region, was then diverted to intercept the vessel.
This is how rescued Pakistani-Iranian sailors thanked Indian Navy
“Relentless efforts by Indian Navy platforms, which are mission-deployed for anti-piracy and maritime security operations, continue to save precious life at sea, symbolising the force’s resolve towards safety of all vessels and seafarers at sea,” the officer said.
The defence ministry, in turn, told Parliament on Friday that the Navy is undertaking enhanced deployment of warships as well as aerial surveillance by maritime patrol aircraft and drones in the central Arabian Sea and east coast of Somalia to restore maritime security in the region.
“The Indian Navy has been proactively engaging with the regional and extra-regional navies/maritime forces, to promote maritime security. Since 2008, the Indian Navy has deployed units in the Gulf of Aden and east coast of Africa for anti-piracy patrols. A total of 3,440 ships and over 25,000 seafarers have been safely escorted by them,” junior defence minister Ajay Bhatt said, in a written reply in Lok Sabha.
Watch Watch: Indian Navy foils another piracy attempt on Iranian-flagged vessel off Somalia, rescues 19 hostages