Indian Navy rescues hijacked Iranian fishing vessel in Arabian Sea

​​​​​​​By Ahmad Adil

NEW DELHI (AA) – The Indian Navy rescued an Iranian fishing vessel and its crew of Pakistani nationals after it responded to a piracy attack in the Arabian Sea, according to a statement.

The navy said late Friday that it had received information about a “potential piracy incident” onboard the Al-Kambar on Thursday night and two Indian naval ships were diverted to intercept the vessel.

It said it was reported to have been boarded by nine armed pirates.

“After more than 12 hours of intense coercive tactical measures … the pirates on board the hijacked fishing vessel were forced to surrender. The crew, comprising 23 Pakistani nationals, have been safely rescued,” said the navy, adding that the vessel was intercepted early Friday.

The navy noted that “Indian Naval specialist teams are presently undertaking thorough sanitisation and seaworthiness checks of the fishing vessel in order to escort her to a safe area for resuming normal fishing activities.”

The Indian navy recently conducted several operations and rescued vessels and crew following hijack attempts or when it came under attack.

Amid attacks in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea, India has also deployed warships as a "force deterrent" in the region.