New Delhi: A Bangladesh-flagged merchant vessel Abdullah has been hijacked by Somalian pirates who managed to get into Somalian waters.
This was despite the Indian Navy rushing to the spot and managing to establish that the crew was safe.
The incident is yet another in the Arabian Sea over the last few months which has seen the Indian Navy deploy at least 12 vessels.
“On 12 March, on receipt of intimation, the aircraft was deployed and after locating the hijacked vessel in the evening, the Navy attempted to establish communication to ascertain status of the ship’s crew members. However, no response was received from the ship,” the Navy said.
The Indian Navy’s mission-deployed warship on maritime security operations, which was also diverted, then intercepted the hijacked vessel on the morning of 14 March.
The safety of the vessel’s crew, who were all nationals of Bangladesh held hostage by the armed pirates, was ascertained and the Navy’s warship continued to remain in close vicinity of the vessel till its arrival in the territorial waters of Somalia. The ship entered Somalia with pirates onboard.
Owner of the ship, Kabir Steel Re-Rolling Mills, reportedly said that MV Abdullah was sailing from Mozambique’s capital Maputo to the United Arab Emirates with a cargo of 55,000 tonnes of coal when it was attacked Tuesday. The company said that a group of 15-20 Somali pirates have hijacked the ship.
The Indian Navy has been prompt in responding to distress calls by merchant vessels in the Indian Ocean Region.
A source in the Navy told ThePrint: “This incident shows that the Indian Navy, in the vast sense of geography, continues to remain deployed and respond to maritime incidents as and when required by deploying assets available in the close vicinity.”
As reported by ThePrint, in January this year, the Indian Navy responded to several incidents of piracy. It carried out a huge operation on a Liberian-flagged bulk carrier MV Lila Norfolk, which was hijacked by pirates. INS Chennai, the Navy’s guided missile destroyer, was diverted to assist the vessel.
The vessel had sent a message to UKMTO (United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations) indicating boarding by approximately six armed personnel. The Indian Navy had launched a maritime patrol aircraft before diverting INS Chennai.
The vessel was kept under continuous surveillance using the maritime patrol aircraft and Predator MQ9B drone. As many as 21 crew members were safely evacuated from the citadel of the vessel and sanitisation by the Navy’s Marine Commandos (MARCOS) was carried out, which confirmed the absence of hijackers.
The Indian Navy also responded to the hijacking of a Sri Lankan fishing vessel in January by deploying INS Sharada and HALE Sea Guardian in collaboration with Seychelles defence forces and the Sri Lankan navy.
The vessel, which had been boarded by three pirates, was intercepted east of Mogadishu, Somalia, and six crew members were saved.
INS Sumitra thwarted two piracy attacks. INS Sumitra, which was on anti-piracy operations along the east coast of Somalia and the Gulf of Aden, responded to a distress message regarding hijacking of an Iran-flagged fishing vessel Iman. It ensured the release of all 17 crew members.
The other incident involved rescuing 19 crew members, who were all Pakistani nationals, and the vessel from armed Somali pirates.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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