Indian Navy vs pirates: Op launched to rescue crew of Iranian FV Al-Kambar

Indian Navy has responded to Israel-Hamas conflict's impact in maritime domain by re-orienting and significantly enhancing scope of its ongoing maritime security operations

The Indian Navy continued to cement its role as the first responder in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) on Friday, when it responded to a potential incident of piracy in the Arabian Sea. 

In a Friday evening post on microblogging platform X, the Navy's spokesperson said that the Navy has received inputs on a potential incident of piracy onboard an Iranian fishing vessel (FV), named 'Al-Kambar', late evening on Thursday (March 28, 2024), approximately 90 nautical miles south west of the Yemeni island of Socotra. 

"Two Indian naval ships, mission deployed in the Arabian Sea for maritime security operations, were diverted to intercept the hijacked FV, reported to have been boarded by nine armed pirates," the spokesperson said, adding, "The hijacked FV has been intercepted on Friday (March 29, 2024). An operation is currently underway by the Indian Navy towards rescue of hijacked FV and its crew." 

The spokesperson also said that the Indian Navy remained committed to ensuring maritime security in the region and the safety of seafarers, irrespective of their nationality. 

Last week, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said that the Indian Navy has responded to the Israel–Hamas conflict's impact in the maritime domain by re-orienting and significantly enhancing the scope of its ongoing maritime security operations since the middle of December last year. 

March 23, 2024, marked the completion of 100 days of the Navy's ongoing maritime security operations under the aegis of 'Operation Sankalp'. During that time, the Navy responded to 18 incidents, playing a pivotal role as the 'first responder' in the IOR. 

The MoD said that the Indian Navy was conducting maritime security missions in three areas of operations -- the Gulf of Aden and adjoining areas, the Arabian Sea, and off the east coast of Somalia. 

Since December, the Navy's efforts have involved the deployment of over 5,000 personnel at sea, over 450 ship days (with over 21 ships deployed), and 900 hours of flying by maritime surveillance aircraft. 

The MoD said that during the ongoing maritime security operations, the Navy has saved over 110 lives, including those of 45 Indian seafarers. It has escorted 1.5 million tonnes of critical commodities, conducted nearly 1,000 boarding operations, and seized over 3,000 kgs of narcotics. According to the MoD, over 450 merchant vessels were "assured" of the Navy's presence during this period. 

The ministry added that coordinated missions with the Indian Air Force and national agencies during this period have also highlighted the synergy and interoperability of India's armed forces and security services.