The operations were carried out by the INS Sumitra littoral patrol vessel, which was deployed by India for maritime security and anti-piracy to eastern Somalia and the Gulf of Aden.

The Ministry of Defense detailed that the ship responded to a distress call from the fishing vessel FV Iman on January 24th. Following standard operating procedures, the ship and its crew of 17 Iranian nationals were safely rescued in the early hours of January 29th.

Subsequently, INS Sumitra was sent to locate the Iranian-flagged vessel Al Naeemi carrying 19 Pakistanis on board, in a similar situation. The Indian ship intercepted the ship with the help of a helicopter and other support, forcing the hijackers to release the crew and ship.

In the course of less than 36 hours, the Indian vessel rescued two hijacked fishing vessels along with their 36 crew (17 Iranians and 19 Pakistanis) in the south Arabian Sea, approximately 850 nautical miles west of Kochi, the Ministry of Defense reported.

The success of the operations prevented the misuse of fishing vessels for future acts of piracy, the entity said, which highlighted the commitment to act against all maritime threats in the region.

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