Indian Navy rescues 19 Pakistanis in anti piracy operation

New Delhi: Indian warship INS Sumitra rescued 19 Pakistani crew of a fishing vessel after their Iranian-flagged fishing vessel was attacked by pirates in the east coast of Somalia, officials said on Tuesday.

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

The ship had thwarted a piracy attempt on Iranian fishing vessel Iman on Monday.

In yet another successful anti-piracy operation off the East Coast of Somalia, INS Sumitra rescued fishing vessel Al Naeemi and her 19 crew members from 11 Somali pirates on Monday, Indian Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said.

"INS Sumitra, over the course of less than 36 hours, through swift, persistent and relentless efforts has rescued two hijacked fishing vessels along with 36 crew (17 Iranian and 19 Pakistani) in Southern Arabian Sea approximately 850 nautical miles West of Kochi," Madhwal said.

He said the Indian Navy has once again proved its commitment in the region to act against all maritime threats in order to ensure safety of all mariners and vessels at sea.