NEW DELHI, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Indian navy on Friday said it has foiled a piracy attempt at the sea off the coast of Somalia and rescued 19 crew members aboard a vessel hijacked by pirates.
The released crew include 11 Iranian and eight Pakistani nationals.
"INS Sharda intercepted FV Omari in the early hours of 2 February and using her integral helicopter and boats coerced the pirates to safely release the crew (11 Iranian and 8 Pakistani) along with the vessel," an Indian navy spokesperson said.
According to the navy, FV Omari, an Iranian-flagged vessel, had been boarded by seven pirates who had taken the crew hostage.
"INS Sharda also undertook confirmatory boarding on FV Omari to sanitize and check on the well-being of the crew who had been held captive by the Somali pirates," the navy added.
This is the third such operation this week. ■