Navy warship INS Kolkata with 35 pirates on board was captured in Somali waters and arrived in Mumbai

The aircraft carrier Kolkata began tracking the pirate ship in the early morning of March 15.

Mumbai:

The US Navy said the warship INS Kolkata was carrying 35 pirates who were arrested during an operation off the coast of Somalia and arrived in Mumbai this morning.

The pirates were allegedly later handed over to Mumbai police.

The exercise is part of the ongoing Operation Sankalp, in which Indian naval vessels are deployed in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden to ensure the safety of seafarers and commercial trade passing through the region.

The Navy said: “MS Kolkata returned to Mumbai on March 23 along with the 35 captured pirates and handed over the pirates to the local police for further legal action under Indian law, specifically the Maritime Anti-Piracy Act 2022. “

In an operation that lasted over 40 hours and started in the early hours of March 15, INS Kolkata intercepted the pirate ship ex-MV Ruen in the Arabian Sea based on information received from the UKMTO (United Kingdom Maritime Organization) by the Indian Navy’s Indian Ocean Regional Information Fusion Centre. business).

The ship was allegedly used as a mother ship to carry out pirate attacks and hijack merchant ships.

The aircraft carrier Kolkata began tracking the pirate ship in the early morning of March 15.

The ship immediately changed course upon sighting the Calcutta and began heading towards the coast of Somalia. The navy said several armed pirates were spotted on the ship’s upper deck.

The Kolkata directed the pirate ship to stop for investigation in accordance with international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

However, the pirate ship refused to obey and instead opened fire.

“The Calcutta then acted in self-defense and used necessary kinetic measures to disable the ship and force the pirates to surrender,” the statement said.

The aircraft carrier INS Subhadra participated in the operation along with the aircraft carrier INS Kolkata. In addition, the Indian Navy coordinated with the Indian Air Force to use C17 aircraft to conduct long-range deployment and airdrops in the waters near the pirate ship.

The operation was monitored aerially by Indian Navy P8I aircraft, Sea Guardian drones, helicopters and reconnaissance drones from the ship.

“In the face of decisive action by the Indian Navy, all pirates on board surrendered. The 35 pirates and 17 crew members have been duly detained and transferred to the Indian Navy vessel,” the statement said.

The Indian Navy searched and disinfected the ship, including weapons, ammunition and contraband, to ensure its safety. In addition, the naval technical team carried out a seaworthiness assessment and necessary repairs to make the vessel fit for further voyages.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)