The Indian Navy has disclosed striking visuals depicting armed Somali pirates aboard the Bangladeshi-flagged cargo vessel MV Abdullah, captured in the Indian Ocean.
Shared on social media platforms on Friday, the released image showcases the pirates patrolling the vessel, each brandishing heavy weaponry.
Responding to a distress call received on March 12, the Indian Navy swiftly deployed its offshore Long Range Maritime Patrol (LRMP) vessel and a warship to address the hijacking incident. However, attempts to establish communication with the hijacked vessel yielded no response, indicating a potential takeover by armed assailants.
Ensuring the safety of the crew held hostage by the pirates, the Indian Navy warship maintained a vigilant presence in close proximity to the vessel until its entry into Somalia’s territorial waters.
This development underscores growing apprehensions surrounding piracy activities in the Indian Ocean region.
In a separate incident, an Indian navy warship intercepted the hijacked Ruen cargo ship on Friday, demanding surrender from the Somali pirates on board, as per a navy spokesperson’s statement on Saturday.
Allegedly hijacked by Somali pirates in December, the Maltese-flagged bulk cargo vessel came under fire from the navy ship in international waters.
European Union naval force suggests that the same group of Somali pirates may have orchestrated the hijacking of a Bangladesh-flagged cargo ship this week, using the previously hijacked Ruen vessel.
The Bangladeshi vessel MV Abdullah, carrying coal with 23 crew members, altered its location on Friday after being seized by pirates while en route from Mozambique to the UAE earlier in the week.
This incident evokes memories of past encounters with piracy, notably the seizure of MV Jahan Moni, owned by the same company, by Somali pirates in December 2010. The crew endured 100 days of captivity before their release in March 2011.
