In yet another action taken against the growing piracy operations in the Arabian Sea region, navy and coast guard officials, in a joint operation, apprehended 16 Somalian pirates, who had held a trawler hostage, and rescued its 16 crew members.
In yet another action taken against the growing piracy operations in the Arabian Sea region, navy and coast guard officials, in a joint operation, apprehended 16 Somalian pirates, who had held a trawler hostage, and rescued its 16 crew members.
Responding to a distress call to the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre received from a merchant ship MV Maersk Kensington around 11am on Saturday, a patrolling maritime reconnaissance aircraft, TU 142, was diverted to locate the pirate vessel.
The piracy attempt on the merchant vessel was foiled as crew members of Kensington took some anti-piracy measures. TU 142 then alerted INS Suvarna, which was also on patrol in the area and coast guard vessel ICGS Sangram was also diverted to the area to help INS Suvarna.
According to a defence spokesperson, navy officials from Suvarna tried contacting and warning crew members of Morteza to stop but all attempts failed and pirates onboard Morteza opened fire on Suvarna. Suvarna responded the same due to which a fire broke out on Morteza as there were many fuel-filled barrels onboard. The pirates and hostages were forced to jump overboard.
INS Suvarna then launched a life raft to rescue the pirates and hostages and ICGS Sangram helped in the operation. Of the rescued crew members, 12 are Iranian and four are Pakistani.
The rescued hostages and pirates are being brought to Mumbai by INS Suvarna and are expected to reach by Tuesday, where they will be handed over to the Yellow Gate police for further action.
Embassies of rescued hostages will be contacted to send them back to their respective countries.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}