This handout photograph taken on January 30, 2024 and released by the Indian Navy shows Indian commandos stand guard with a group of detained pirates after the Indian Navy freed an Iranian fishing vessel hijacked by Somali pirates, off the Somali coast, some 850 nautical miles (1,574 kilometres) west of the Indian city of Kochi. (AFP)

VISHAKHAPATNAM: The Indian Navy’s patrol vessel INS Sumitra executed its second successful anti-piracy operation in two days in the waters off the east coast of Somalia and rescued the Iran-flagged fishing vessel Al Naeemi and its 19 Pakistani crew members. They had been attacked by 11 Somali pirates.

INS Sumitra has been deployed for anti-piracy and maritime security operations in the east of Somalia and Gulf of Aden.

On Monday, the INS Sumitra had secured the departure of Somali pirates who had captured the Iranian-flagged fishing vessel Iman and taken the 17 Iranian crew hostage. Employing standard operating procedures and coercive tactics, INS Sumitra intercepted the Iman, rescued the crew early on Tuesday, sanitised the vessel and released it for onward transit.

On Tuesday, the INS Sumitra intercepted another distressed vessel, the Iran-flagged Al Naeemi. In less than 36 hours, the INS Sumitra showcased its efficiency, rescuing two hijacked fishing vessels and a total of 36 crew members, 17 Iranians and 19 Pakistanis. These operations took place in the Southern Arabian Sea, approximately 1,500 km west of Kochi.