The Indian Navy has deployed a second frontline
ship in the Gulf of Aden to augment its anti-piracy mission, following the
hijacking of a Malta-flagged cargo vessel by pirates.
The Navy now has stealth guided-missile
destroyer INS Kochi and INS Kolkata in the region, officials said.
The Navy swiftly responded after
receiving a call for help from MV Ruen, the Malta-flagged hijacked vessel, on
December 14.
Days later, it evacuated one of the 18
crew members onboard the vessel off the coast of Somalia to provide medical
care after he was injured by the pirates.
“In a swift response, Indian Navy’s
maritime patrol aircraft deployed to investigate the incident arrived overhead
MV Ruen on December 15 and established communication with the crew,” a Navy
spokesperson said.
“All 18 crew (no Indians onboard) were
reported to be safe in the citadel. Concurrently, in response to the incident,
INS Kochi on anti-piracy patrol in the Gulf of Aden was also diverted
immediately to render assistance,” he said.
The official said INS Kochi intercepted
MV Ruen in the early hours of December 16 and launched its integral helicopter
to assess the situation.
“It was ascertained from the crew that
the citadel onboard MV Ruen had been breached and all crew members were held
hostage by the pirates. One of the crew members had also sustained injuries,
but was reported to be stable,” he said.
“Whilst no armed intervention was
undertaken to ensure crew safety onboard the hijacked MV, requisite actions
were taken by the warship towards ensuring suitable treatment of the crew by
the pirates,” he added.
The Navy spokesperson said a Japanese
warship also arrived in the area on December 16 and was relieved by Spanish
warship ESPNS Victoria later in the day.
“Indian Navy ship maintained in close
vicinity of hijacked vessel during its transit towards Somalia from December 16
to 17, suitably engaging with the pirates and coordinating actions with the
other warships,” the official said.
The hijacked vessel entered the
territorial waters of Somalia on December 17 and INS Kochi was successful in
ensuring that the injured crew member was released by the pirates in the early
hours of December 18 for further medical management.
“The injured crew member was medically
attended to onboard the Indian Navy ship, but due to urgent medical attention
required, which was beyond the scope of the ship, he was transferred ashore at
Oman on December 19,” the official said.
“In the light of the above incident and
towards augmenting the anti-Piracy efforts in the Gulf of Aden region, the
Indian Navy has deployed another indigenous guided missile destroyer in the
region,” he said.
“The Indian Navy remains committed to
ensuring safety of merchant shipping and rendering assistance to the mariners
at sea, as a ‘first responder’ in the region,” the official added.
PTI
