Crew rescued after armed pirates seize fishing vessel off Somalia; pirates apprehended by Indian Navy.
NEW DELHI – The Indian Navy said it had freed the 23-strong crew of an Iranian fishing vessel which was seized by armed pirates off Somalia.
The Al-Kambar 786 was southwest of the Yemeni island of Socotra, in the Arabian Sea, on March 28 when it was reported to have been boarded by nine pirates, according to a naval statement on Friday.
The vessel was intercepted by the navy’s INS Sumedha and INS Trishul, leading to “over 12 hours of intense coercive tactical measures” forcing the pirates to surrender, the statement said.
The nine pirates are being brought to India under the domestic law against piracy on the high seas, the navy said in a separate statement on Saturday.
The fishing vessel’s crew of 23 Pakistani nationals were safe and received medical checks before being cleared to continue with fishing activities, the statement said.
Piracy incidents east of the Red Sea have resurfaced for the first time in nearly a decade.
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Taking advantage of Western forces’ focus on protecting shipping from attacks in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi militants, pirates have made or attempted more than 20 hijackings since November, driving up insurance and security costs and adding to a crisis for global shipping companies.
Seven people, including two children, killed in blast in Syria’s Aleppo city
Aleppo: In a devastating explosion in a bustling market in northern Aleppo, seven individuals, including two children, lost their lives.
According to a report from British media outlets, a bomb exploded in the central market of the Azaz district, near the Turkish border in the province of Aleppo. The explosion resulted in the destruction of nearby buildings and ignited fires in adjacent vehicles. However, as of now, no organization or group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
At the time of the explosion, a large crowd was present in the market, busy purchasing new clothes for Eid al-Fitr celebrations for their children.
In response to the tragic incident, rescue teams in Syria rushed to the scene. According to White Helmets, among the casualties of the explosion were two children, while 30 others sustained injuries. It is noteworthy that the Azaz district is under the control of militias opposing the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad amidst the ongoing civil war in the country.
The important border area in northwest Syria has witnessed a surge in bomb explosions in recent years. In 2017, outside the court of Qasr al-Hass, a car bomb explosion claimed the lives of more than 40 people.
The situation in Syria remains volatile, with such attacks highlighting the persistent dangers faced by civilians in conflict-ridden areas.
