The Indian Navy responded swiftly to a distress call from the Bangladesh-flagged cargo ship MV Abdullah, which had been seized by pirates off the coast of Somalia earlier this week. The vessel, carrying a cargo of approximately 55,000 tonnes of coal from Mozambique to the United Arab Emirates, fell prey to Somali pirates on the evening of March 12.
Upon receiving the alert, the Indian Navy deployed Long-Range Maritime Patrol (LRMP) aircraft to locate and rescue the hijacked vessel. Despite attempts to establish communication with the ship's crew, no response was received. Consequently, a Navy warship was diverted to intercept the hijacked vessel.
The interception took place successfully on the morning of March 14, with the warship ensuring the safety of all 23 crew members, who are nationals of Bangladesh. The Navy vessel remained close to MV Abdullah until it reached the territorial waters of Somalia.
According to Meherul Karim, CEO of Kabir Steel Re-Rolling Mills, the company owning MV Abdullah, the ship was hijacked by a group of 15-20 Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean, approximately 600 nautical miles east of Mogadishu, Somalia's capital.
This incident has raised concerns about the resurgence of piracy in the Indian Ocean, particularly following a series of hijackings off the coast of Somalia since December. Additionally, there has been an uptick in attacks on shipping by Yemen's Houthi rebels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, targeting vessels allegedly associated with Israel, the United States, or the United Kingdom. These attacks are believed to be in retaliation to military actions in Gaza.
