New Delhi/IBNS: After successfully thwarting a piracy attempt on Iranian Fishing Vessel (FV) Iman, INS Sumitra carried out yet another successful anti-piracy operation off the East Coast of Somalia by rescuing a fishing vessel Al Naeemi with 19 crew members (Pakistani nationals), an Indian Navy statement said here on Tuesday.

As many as 11 Somali pirates had hijacked the vessel.

On January 29, the warship was pressed into action to locate and intercept another Iranian-flagged fishing vessel, Al Naeemi, which had been boarded by pirates and her crew (19 Pakistani national) taken hostage.

INS Sumitra intercepted the FV and, through coercive posturing and effective deployment of her integral helo and boats, compelled the safe release of the crew and the vessel, the statement said.

The ship also undertook confirmatory boarding to sanitise and to check on the well-being of the crew who were held captive by the Somali pirates.

INS Sumitra, over the course of less than 36 hours, through swift, persistent, and relentless efforts, rescued two hijacked fishing vessels along with 36 crew members (17 Iranian and 19 Pakistani) in the southern Arabian Sea, approximately 850 nm west of Kochi, and prevented misuse of these fishing vessels as mother ships for further acts of piracy on merchant vessels, the statement added.