The Indian Navy has rescued an Iranian fishing boat that had been hijacked by Somali pirates, the latest attack on the Indian Ocean route in multiple days.
India's navy aboard INS Sumitra freed Iranian-flagged fishing vessel INS Naeemi from distress and rescued 19 Pakistani crew members, a spokesman for the Indian Navy said on Tuesday (Jan 30).
The rescue operation was carried out on the night of Monday (29) off the coast of Somalia, about 850 nautical miles (1,574 kilometers) west of the Indian city of Kochi.
According to the Navy, "11 Somali pirates" took the crew members hostage. The Navy's release shows Somali pirates standing on the ship with AK-47 rifles, and another** shows a Navy drone hovering over the pirate's head.
Indian Navy commandos boarded fishing boats in the dark, armed with rifles, standing beside a group of pirates who then knelt on the deck with their hands tied behind their backs.
Just 36 hours ago, India said its forces had freed the Iranian-flagged fishing boat Iman, also hijacked by Somali pirates, and freed 17 crew members.
In the third case, Seychelles commandos rescued the Sri Lankan fishing boat Lorenzo Putha-4 on Monday, rescuing six crew members. Three days earlier, the ship had been hijacked by Somali militants about 840 nautical miles (1,555 kilometers) southeast of the Somali capital, Mogadishu.