The Indian Navy responded to the Bangladeshi vessel, MV Abdullah, which was hijacked by Somali pirates with 23 crew members on board earlier this week, but could not intervene because the crew had been taken hostage by the armed pirates.
On 12 March, pirates seized control of the ship, which was carrying around 55,000 tonnes of coal from Mozambique's Maputo port to Al Hamriyah Port in the UAE.
“The Indian Navy's Mission Deployed warship and a Long-Range Maritime Patrol (LRMP) aircraft responded to a piracy attack on MV Abdullah, a Bangladeshi-flagged vessel, while en route from Mozambique to the United Arab Emirates,” said the Indian Navy in a statement on X."
After receiving notification, the LRMP was immediately deployed. Upon locating the MV on the evening of 12 March, attempts were made to establish communication to ascertain the status of the ship's crew members. However, no response was received from the ship, they added.
The Indian Navy intercepted the hijacked MV on the morning of 14 March. The safety of the MV's crew, held hostage by the armed pirates, was ascertained. However, intervention was not possible since it could have led to casualties, stated an Indian Navy official.
Nevertheless, the Indian warship continued to maintain close vicinity to the MV until its arrival in the territorial waters of Somalia, the statement added.