Admiral R. Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff, awarded ‘On the Spot Unit Citation’ to INS Sharda, for successful conduct of anti-piracy operations, during his recent visit to Southern Naval Command, Kochi.
The ship was involved in the safe release of all 19 crew members (11 Iranian and 8 Pakistani) of Iranian fishing vessel named Omari , which was held hostage by pirates off the east coast of Somalia.
The ship had been tasked to investigate the fishing vessel that was likely hijacked by pirates. Based on surveillance inputs, the ship intercepted the vessel and maintained a covert trail throughout the night. During early morning hours of February 2, the ship’s integral helicopter and subsequently Prahar team were deployed. The aggressive posture by the navy personnel prompted the pirates to safely release the crew and boat.
The relentless effort of the ship that was mission deployed for anti-piracy operations, saved lives at sea, upholding Indian Navy’s resolve to enhance security and safety of seafarers in the Indian Ocean Region, says a Navy release.
Admiral Harikumar interacted with personnel of INS Sharda and commended them for responding promptly to the piracy attack, leading to safe and successful conduct of operations at sea under challenging conditions.
