The Indian Navy rescued 23 Pakistanis from a hijacked Iranian fishing vessel after more than 12 hours of "intense coercive tactical measures" as part of an anti-piracy operation.
The fishing vessel 'Al Kambar' was, reportedly, hijacked by nine armed Somali pirates.
"INS Sumedha intercepted FV 'Al Kambar' during early hours of Friday and was joined subsequently by the guided missile frigate INS Trishul," said an official statement shared by the Navy's spokesperson.
"After more than 12 hours of intense coercive tactical measures as per the SOPs, the pirates on board the hijacked fishing vessel were forced to surrender. The crew, comprising 23 Pakistani nationals, have been safely rescued."
The Indian Navy said it remains committed to ensuring maritime security in the region and safety of seafarers, "irrespective of the nationalities".
The fishing vessel at the time of incident was approximately 90 Nm southwest of Socotra. The Socotra Archipelago is in the northwest Indian Ocean near the Gulf of Aden.
Indian naval specialist teams are undertaking thorough sanitisation and seaworthiness checks of the fishing vessel in order to escort her to a safe area for resuming normal fishing activities.
Earlier this month, the Indian Navy intercepted the under-attack pirate ship Ruen, sailing almost 2600km from the Indian coast, and forced the pirate ship to stop.
(With agency inputs)
