Striking yet another success in its fight against piracy, the Navy on Saturday chased and intercepted a pirate vessel and, after limited retaliatory fire, apprehended 16 brigands in the Arabian Sea.
During the operation, INS Suvarna rescued 16 crew members of the mother pirate ship, Morteza, after the Navy and Coast Guard mounted the operation following reports of pirate attacks on merchant ship MSC Eva and MV Kensington around 300-400 nautical miles west of Lakshadweep Islands in the Arabian Sea.
Following reports of these failed attacks on March 23 and 26, the Navy ships and aircraft on anti-piracy deployment swung into action with its patrol aircraft locating Morteza with skiffs in tow.
Halt warning unheeded
INS Suvarna thereafter warned the mother pirate vessel to stop, but attempts to communicate yielded no result. Morteza instead tried to escape and fired at the naval ship, the Navy spokesman said here on Sunday.
The Navy said it was observed that personnel aboard Morteza were abandoning the ship, after Suvarna fired back. Coast Guard Ship Sangram was also involved in the operation. A total of 32 people were rescued of which 16 were pirates.
During the last three months, the Navy has struck success in three separate missions, apprehending 104 pirates in its quest to keep the area close to the country's shorelines free from the scourge of piracy that has spread from the Gulf of Aden towards the region.
K. Venkiteswaran writes from Kochi:
An official press release on Sunday said the recent operation indicates the firm and resolute action taken by the Navy and the Coast Guard and demonstrates the nation's determination to strengthen safety of merchant shipping in the international sea lanes in the Arabian Sea. Proactive action being taken by the Navy has been lauded by the International Maritime Bureau, the release claims.
According to official sources, the 16 crew members of the Iranian trawler Morteza include four Pakistanis.
