Tuesday 14 / January / 2025
New Delhi: Since December 2023, global sea routes have witnessed a spike in attacks on shipping vessels due to tensions between Israel and Hamas spilling over into the maritime domain, particularly in the Red Sea, a crucial passage for global trade.
These attacks have resulted in loss of trade and put the crews' lives in danger. Experts believe that cargo ships are now more vulnerable due to slowdowns caused by the unstable situation near Yemen, making them easier targets for pirates.
The increase in the attacks has posed a bigger challenge for countries to secure their maritime supply lines more than ever. In this scenario, the Indian Navy has emerged as the first line of defence and a trusted security partner actively safeguarding the Indian Ocean Region not only for India but also for other nations.
Its successful interventions over the last three months against the pirates bear testimony not only to its efficiency but also India's willingness to shoulder additional responsibility in the evolving global maritime security architecture.
In a recent case, on March 29, 2024, the Indian Navy received reports of an attack by Somali pirates on an Iranian fishing vessel 'FV Al-Kambar' in the Arabian Sea with 23 Pakistani citizens on board. Responding to SOS, the Indian Navy quickly deployed its two naval warships that intercepted the hijacked Iranian vessel.
The rescue operation lasted 12 hours and all crew members were rescued safely. Instead of direct confrontation, the Indian Navy used negotiations to convince the pirates to surrender peacefully. This bloodless victory against piracy was a major success for the Indian Navy and ensured continued safety of ships operating in the region.
The above case is just an addition to the long list of rescue operations conducted by the Indian Navy in the Arabian Sea. In another case, the Indian Navy came to the rescue of MV Ruen, a Maltese cargo ship that was hijacked by Somali pirates in the Arabian Sea in December 2023.
Soon after the crew sent a distress call, the Indian Navy started tracking the vessel. The pirates initially held the entire crew hostage but later released one injured Bulgarian sailor to the Indian Navy.
They then sailed the ship with remaining crew to Puntland, a semi-autonomous state in Somalia. In March 2024, after the ship was located off the Somali coast, the Indian Navy sent warship INS Kolkata to intercept it. After a long chase, INS Kolkata cornered the hijacked ship on March 16, 2024 nearly 2600 kilometres away from the Indian coast. Following a tense 40-hour standoff, the Indian Navy through strategic manoeuvres forced
35 Somali pirates to surrender and successfully rescued 17 crew members onboard. Remarkably, this daring mission was accomplished without any casualties.
The Bulgarian company Navibulgar, owner of MV Ruen, celebrated the ship's recapture as a major victory not just for them but for the entire global shipping industry. They applauded Indian Navy's role in the successful rescue underlining that the valour displayed by Indian Navy meant that the commercial ships on the seas will always be safe.
Since December 2023, the Indian Navy has conducted 18 rescue operations in the Arabian Sea as part of Operation Sankalp that began in response to attacks on merchant ships in the Sea of Oman a few years back. During the last three months, they have already saved around 110 lives including 45 Indians from over 90 maritime incidents.
Their actions have been vital in securing important maritime trade routes in the wake of the growing threat posed by pirate attacks and drone or missile strikes.
These rescue operations at sea demonstrate not only the Indian Navy's strength but also validate India's unwavering commitment to maintaining security at sea throughout the region guaranteeing protection to all seafarers regardless of nationality.
