Indian Navy saves Bangladesh-flagged ship from pirate attack off Somalia coast

In response to a pirate raid on a ship flying the flag of Bangladesh off the coast of Somalia, the Indian Navy moved quickly to free the hostages on board.

When pirates attacked the coal-carrying Bangladeshi-flagged vessel MV Abdullah, it was traveling from Mozambique to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

“Indian Navy’s Mission deployed warship and an LRMP responded to a piracy attack on MV Abdullah, a Bangladeshi-flagged vessel, whilst enroute from Mozambique to the United Arab Emirates,” the Indian Navy said in a statement on social media platform X.

“On receipt of intimation, the LRMP was immediately deployed & on locating the MV in the evening of 12 Mar 24, attempted to establish communication to ascertain status of ship’s crew members. However, no response was received from the ship,” the statement added.

The Indian Navy promptly dispatched a vessel and the Long Range Maritime Patrol (LRMP) upon receiving notifications. It found the Bangladeshi vessel and attempted to contact it to find out the crew members’ whereabouts, but it was unable to get a response.

On Thursday morning, the MV Abdullah was intercepted by the warship assigned to Maritime Security Operations, which had also been diverted, as part of the mission.

The crew of the ship, all citizens of Bangladesh who were being held captive by armed pirates, was checked on by the Indian Navy to ensure their safety.

“The Mission Deployed warship on Maritime Security Operations, which had also been diverted, intercepted the hijacked MV on the morning of 14 Mar 24. The safety of the MV’s crew (all Bangladesh nationals) held hostage by the armed pirates was ascertained & the IN warship continued to maintain in close vicinity of the MV till its arrival in the territorial waters of Somalia,” the Indian Navy statement said.

A merchant vessel in the Gulf of Aden caught fire after being struck by a missile earlier this month. The Indian Navy quickly responded to the distress signal and rescued 21 crew members, including one Indian person.

The Indian Navy said in a statement on Thursday that all of the crew members of its navy cruiser, INS Kolkata, were safely evacuated to Djibouti after the ship responded quickly to the maritime incident on Wednesday.

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An Indian Naval ship mission that was stationed in the North Arabian Sea for maritime security operations responded to a distress call from a fishing vessel last month. The ship undertook strengthening the hull and assisted with damage control, making the boat safe for future travel.

The statement went on to say that the Indian Navy’s unwavering efforts underscore its commitment to ensuring the safety of all ships and sailors passing through the area.