Operation Umeed-e-Nuh

Last updated

Operation Umeed-e-Nuh (Operation New Hope)
Part of Piracy in Somalia, Operation Ocean Shield, and Somali Pirates attacks on merchant ships
Somalian Piracy Threat Map 2010.png
Location
Arabian Sea
PlannedNaval Standard of Pakistan.svg  Pakistan Navy
Planned by Special Services Group Navy
Naval Intelligence
ObjectiveProvide humanitarian assistance to MV Suez
evacuation of the crew
Date16–19 June 2011
13:13 PST – 15:10 PST
Executed by PNS Babur
PNS Zulfiqar
OutcomeOperation successful
CasualtiesNone

Operation Umeed-e-Nuh (Operation New Hope), [1] was a naval humanitarian and a rescue operation in order to secure the merchant vessel MV Suez. The operation was carried out by the Pakistan Navy. [2] The merchant vessel MV Suez operated under the flag of Panama and had an Egyptian owner, Red Sea Navigation. On 2 August 2010, the vessel was attacked and taken hostage by Somali pirates. Pakistani human rights activist Ansar Burney and Governor of Sindh, Dr Ishrat-ul-Ibad Khan managed to secure the release of the 22 men crew with a payout of US$2.1 million. The pirates released the vessel on 16 June 2011. However, multiple issues involving low fuel and deteriorated operational and material meant that the crew needed additional help from the Pakistan Navy.

Contents

Upon receiving request for help by the commanding officer Captain Syed Wasi Hassan, the Pakistan Navy dispatched its combatant frigates and naval helicopters to escort the merchant vessel to safety. On 13 June 2011, naval frigate PNS Babur successfully evacuated and later shifted the crew members to safety on PNS Zulfiqar. The crew members, consisting of 4 Pakistanis, 6 Indians, 11 Egyptians and one Sri Lankan, were successfully brought to land at the port city of Karachi.

Background

MV Suez was a merchant vessel carrying a cargo of cement bags from Karachi, Pakistan to Eritrea. The vessel displayed the Panamanian flag and was owned by the Egyptian maritime company, Red Sea Navigation Company, of Port Tawfiq. The ship had a 22-member crew with 11 Egyptians, 6 Indians, 4 Pakistanis and a Sri Lankan, including and under the command of Captain Syed Wasi Hassan. The merchant vessel had a 17,000 tons deadweight (DWT). [3]

Capture of MV Suez

On 2 August 2010, as the merchant vessel sailed through the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) in the Gulf of Aden, it came under attack from small arms fire by Somali pirates. [3] This particular route in the Gulf of Aden is renowned for its pirate-infested waters.[ citation needed ] Following initial reports, a combat helicopter from EU Naval Force Somalia was dispatched towards the ship. The pirates had already taken over the command of the vessel once the helicopter reached its vicinity. [3] The pirates demanded a ransom for US$  20 million for the release of the crew members. [4]

Raising the money for sailors' release

The Red Sea Navigation company were asked to pay the ransom for the release of its employed sailors, but the company could only manage US$1 million. [5] In desperation, the pirates allowed crew members of other nationalities to contact their respective governments in order to pay for their ransom. The Egyptians, Indians and Pakistanis held three meetings in Dubai from March to May 2011 in order to discuss a plan the strategy for the release of the vessel and the crew on board. [5]

The Egyptian president of the ship's operating firm, Abdel Meguid Matar, was joined by Indian (Chandigarh-based) Alchemist Group's chairman and managing director and Rajya Sabha Member Kanwar Deep Singh. The Pakistani diplomats were renowned human rights activist and former Federal Minister for Human Rights Ansar Burney and Governor of Sindh Dr Ishrat-ul-Ibad Khan. [5]

Burney was effective in trying to negotiate with the pirates and the Red Sea Navigation company. He managed to lowered the ransom amount from the initial US$20 million to US$2.1 million. [4] In the meantime, he asked the Pakistani public to donate the rest of the amount through a charity appeal under his trust, Ansar Burney Trust International. Through his charity appeal, Burney was able to raise around US$1.1 million from all over Pakistan. [5] Along with Burney, Governor Ibad also played a vital role in the release of the captives. [4]

Burney flew to Egypt on 24 May 2011 in order to meet Abdel Maguid Matar. [5] Burney was vocal about the atrocities being committed by the pirates on the captives. He also mentioned to the operators that the balance of the ransom amount had been raised and that the pirates had given a 10-day deadline for the payout. [5]

Burney had showed concern that the Governor would be needed if a naval escort was to be provided for the vessel in open sea. On 3 August 2010, Burney and the Red Sea Navigation company were ready to pay the ransom for the sailors' release. [6] It had taken ten months for the ransom amount to be accumulated and dropped off to the ship.[ citation needed ] By the time the vessel was released on 13 June 2011, it was in a "deteriorating operational and material state" and was low on fuel.[ citation needed ]

Preparing for a naval rescue mission

Governor Ibad's presence on the team meant that help could be acquired from the Pakistan Navy if need arose. He had also participated in preparatory discussions of a naval operation to secure the release of the captives with Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Noman Bashir.

It was reported that the vessel was attacked again by pirates as it sped to safety. [7] Upon request of Captain Wasi Hassan for assistance, Governor Ibad requested Admiral Bashir for an operation to be commenced.

Engagement

On 16 June, PNS Babur was dispatched on the course of action, under a mission codename Operation Ummed-e-Nuh. [8] The operation was completed and executed successfully in two stages. [8] The Navy had dispatched teams of SSGN, medical teams along with medical supplies and food provisions on PNS Babur. [8]

During stage-I, the vessel was again attacked by the pirates to hijack the vessel. But, because PNS Babur was escorting MV Suez, their bids were successfully thwarted by Babur and fired warning shots at the incoming pirate boat and forced them to flee. [8] At 15:10 PST, the captain of vessel reported that the freed ship was sinking due to rough weather. [9] The captain of MV Suez appealed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chief of Naval Staff seeking immediate help in view of their vessel being caught in strong winds feared capsizing since its release with 22-member crew of board by the Somalian pirates and series of misfortunes latest among them the breakdown of the tug towing MV Suez. [10]

The Egyptian operator of the vessel and captain had decided to abandon the ship since its electrical system went down. [11] During Stage-2 of the operation, Admiral Noman Bashir ordered PNS Babur to make arrangements to save the lives of the crew. [8] At 13:13 PST, the Navy reported that the crew had been shifted to PNS Babur. [8] The crew was then planned transferred onboard another Pakistan Navy frigate PNS Zulfiqar for onward passage to Pakistan, and eventually reached Karachi. [8]

Indo-Pak diplomatic row

On16 June 2011, Pakistani naval frigate PNS Babur and Indian naval frigate INS Godavari became the centre point of a diplomatic row between the two nations. [7] Pakistan protested saying that the Indian frigate brushed past the Pakistani frigate that had come to the assistance of crew members on board the sinking MV Suez. [7] Pakistan described the Indian ship as taking "dangerous manoeuvers", [12] [13] [14] however India later denied the incident saying it was Pakistan that was "jeopardising the safety [of their mission]". [7] [13] [14] Pakistani officials said that whilst the rescue operation was under-way, the Indian naval ship arrived in the vicinity of the disabled MV Suez and tried to hamper the efforts of the PN ship that had come along for humanitarian assistance. [15]

The issue gained a serious note when Indian officials claimed that Godavari tried contacting the "master" of the ship to offer support but was declined. [7] Pakistan and India exchanged angry charges over the incident allegedly involving Babur and Godavari. [13] [14] Godvari was later pulled off and the Indian Ministry of External Affairs called the naval attaché of the Pakistan Embassy where the Indian government lodged a formal protest over this incident. [13] [14]

Aftermath

Before the crew members of the ill-fated MV Suez surfaced on land at Karachi, Burney said he wanted this gesture to be a "gift to India from the Burney trust" and that he loved both the countries, India and Pakistan, equally. [16] Burney's attempts at trying to negotiate the response of the captives on board MV Suez has led him to be praised throughout India. Families of the Indian victims at the Delhi airport held posters saying "Thank You, Burney Uncle". [4]

It also became clear how the owner of the ship abandoned all efforts to save it as sailor Ravinder mentioned in an earlier interview before boarding PNS Babur. "We have not been sent any help from our owner. The ship is in danger of sinking which is why we have decided to abandon it," he said [16]

Criticism of Indian response

The Indian media criticised the Indian Navy for not acting quickly enough when the freed MV Suez was attacked again by pirates. [17] NDTV, an Indian news channel, reported that the captain of MV Suez did not respond to Godavari; [17] however, this was dismissed later by one of the sailors on board saying that the Indian vessel never responded to their pleas. This was reported by NDTV in such a way that it seemed the merchant vessel gave the Indian navy a cold shoulder. [17] The Indian sailors made clear that it was in fact only PNS Babur that responded to them. [4]

Furthermore, the owners of the ship had told NDTV that they had approached the Indian government for help. In an email to NDTV, a senior company official said, "I've contacted the (Indian) Navy, but there's no response. I have called them so many times." [17] He says Indian officials advised him to "call the NATO hotline and ask if they have any warships in this area for escort." [17]

Related Research Articles

HMS <i>Amazon</i> (F169) 1974 Type 21 or Amazon-class frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Amazon was the first Type 21 frigate of the Royal Navy. Her keel was laid down at the Vosper Thornycroft shipyard in Southampton, England. The ship suffered a fire in the Far East in 1977, drawing attention to the risk of building warships with aluminium superstructure.

INS <i>Mysore</i> (D60)

INS Mysore is a Delhi-class guided-missile destroyer currently in active service with the Indian Navy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pakistan Navy</span> Maritime service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces

The Pakistan Navy (PN) is the uniform naval warfare branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The President of Pakistan is the Supreme Commander of the Navy. The Chief of the Naval Staff, a four-star admiral commands the navy. The Pakistan Navy operates on the coastline of Pakistan in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman. It was established in August 1947, following the independence of Pakistan from the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Indian Navy</span>

Maritime powers in the Indian subcontinent have possessed navies for many centuries. Indian dynasties such as the Chola Empire used naval power to extend their influence overseas, particularly to Southeast Asia. The Marakkar Navy under Zamorins during 15th century and the Maratha Navy of the Maratha Empire during the 19th and 18th centuries fought with rival Indian powers and European trading companies. The East India Company organised its own private navy, which came to be known as the Bombay Marine. With the establishment of the British Raj after the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the small navy was transformed into "His Majesty's Indian Navy", then "Her Majesty's Indian Marine", and finally the "Royal Indian Marine".

INS <i>Trishul</i> (F43)

INS Trishul (F43) is the second frigate of the Talwar class of the Indian Navy. Trishul, the guided missile frigate, joined the arsenal of Indian Navy in 2003. The ship was commissioned by the then Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command Vice Admiral Arun Prakash at St. Petersburg, Russia on 25 June 2003. It has a complement of 32 officers and 228 sailors. In contrast to the lead ship INS Talwar, the sea trials of Trishul were considerably shortened as the ship performed well. Trishul arrived in Mumbai on 23 September 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Trident (1971)</span> Offensive launched by Indian navy against Pakistan

Operation Trident was an offensive operation launched by the Indian Navy on Pakistan's port city of Karachi during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. Operation Trident saw the first use of anti-ship missiles in combat in the region. The operation was conducted on the night of 4–5 December and inflicted heavy damage on Pakistani vessels and facilities. While India suffered no losses, Pakistan lost a minesweeper, a destroyer, a cargo vessel carrying ammunition, and fuel storage tanks in Karachi. Another destroyer was also badly damaged and eventually scrapped. India celebrates its Navy Day annually on 4 December to mark this operation. Trident was followed up by Operation Python three days later.

Operation Dwarka, codenamed as Operation Somnath, was a naval operation by the Pakistan Navy to attack the Indian coastal town of Dwarka on 7 and 8 September 1965. This instance was the first engagement by the Pakistan Navy in any of the Indo-Pakistan Wars.

INS <i>Tabar</i> Indian Navy Talwar Class Frigate

INS Tabar (F44) is the third of the Talwar-class frigate of the Indian Navy. The frigate was commissioned on 19 April 2004 in Kaliningrad, Russia with Captain Biswajit Dasgupta. The current Commanding Officer (CO) of INS Tabar is Captain Mahesh Mangipudi.

INS <i>Godavari</i> (F20)

INS Godavari (F20) was the lead ship of her class of guided-missile frigates of the Indian Navy. Built by Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai, she was the first Indian warship to be indigenously designed and built. She was commissioned on 10 December 1983, and decommissioned on 23 December 2015 after a 32-year career.

Piracy off the coast of Somalia occurs in the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel, and Somali Sea, in Somali territorial waters and other surrounding places and has a long and troubled history with different perspectives from different communities. It was initially a threat to international fishing vessels during the early 2000s, only to rapidly escalate and expand to international shipping during the War in Somalia (2006–2009).

INS Nipat (K86) was a Vidyut-class missile boat of the Indian Navy. It was part of the 25th "Killer" Missile squadron.

The Indo-Pakistani Naval War of 1971 refers to the maritime military engagements between the Indian Navy and the Pakistan Navy during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. The series of naval operations began with the Indian Navy's exertion of pressure on Pakistan from the Indian Ocean, while the Indian Army and Indian Air Force moved in to choke Pakistani forces operating in East Pakistan on land. Indian naval operations comprised naval interdiction, air defence, ground support, and logistics missions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Minicoy Island</span> Single ship action in January 2011

The Battle of Minicoy Island was a single ship action in January 2011 between Indian naval forces and Somali pirates, during Operation Island Watch. Pirates in the former Thai fishing trawler Prantalay 14 resisted and attacked the Indian Navy patrol vessel INS Cankarso and, in a long surface action off Minicoy Island, the Indians sank the hostile ship and rescued twenty captives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Ocean Shield</span> NATO operation in the Horn of Africa

Operation Ocean Shield was NATO's contribution to Operation Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa (OEF-HOA), an anti-piracy initiative in the Indian Ocean, Guardafui Channel, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea. It follows the earlier Operation Allied Protector. Naval operations began on 17 August 2009 after being approved by the North Atlantic Council, the program was terminated on 15 December 2016 by NATO. Operation Ocean Shield focused on protecting the ships of Operation Allied Provider, which transported relief supplies as part of the World Food Programme's mission in the region. The initiative also helped strengthen the navies and coast guards of regional states to assist in countering pirate attacks. Additionally, China, Japan and South Korea sent warships to participate in these activities.

INS <i>Sumitra</i> (P59) Indian Navy patrol vessel

INS Sumitra is the fourth and last Saryu-class patrol vessel of the Indian Navy, designed and constructed by Goa Shipyard Limited. It is also the presidential yacht of India. It is designed to undertake fleet support operations, coastal and offshore patrolling, ocean surveillance and monitoring of sea lines of communications and offshore assets and escort duties.

The following lists events that happened in 2009 in Somalia.

PNS <i>Zulfiquar</i> (F251)

PNS Zulfiquar (FFG-251) is the lead ship of the F-22P Zulfiquar-class guided missile frigates since 2009. She was designed and constructed by Chinese firm, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding in Shanghai, for the Pakistan Navy. The vessel's design is primarily influenced from the Type 053H3 frigate.

PNS <i>Babur</i> (D-182) Tariq-class destroyer in the Pakistan Navy (1993-2015)

PNS Babur (D-182) was a Tariq-class destroyer that served in the Surface Command of the Pakistan Navy from 1993 until being decommissioned in 2014. Before commissioning in the Pakistan Navy, she served in the Royal Navy, formerly designated as HMS Amazon as a general purpose frigate.

2024 in piracy included 33 reports of maritime piracy and armed robbery against ships to the International Maritime Bureau during the first quarter of the year. Incidents included 24 vessels boarded, six of which experienced attempted attacks; two hijacked; and one fired upon. Crew continued to suffer violence, with 35 crew taken hostage, nine kidnapped, and one threatened during three first three months of the year.

References

  1. ↑ APP, Associated Press of Pakistan (19 June 2011). "PN successfully completes rescue operation". Associated Press of Pakistan. Archived from the original on 7 October 2011. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
  2. ↑ "Pakistan Navy successfully completes rescue operation". 19 June 2011. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 EU Naval Force Somalia (2 August 2010). "MV SUEZ hijacked in the Gulf of Aden". EU NAVFOR Public Affairs Office. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Reunited: Indian sailors from Suez meet families at airport". NDTV. 24 June 2011. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Pakistanis raised $1.1 million for the release of the MV Suez". Safety4Sea. 25 May 2011. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
  6. ↑ Thompson (3 August 2010). "Egyptian managers of hijacked ship ready to pay ransom". Reuters. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "Days before talks, India, Pakistan spar over ships". DAWN News. 19 June 2011. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "PNS Babur successfully completes rescue operation". Dawn News. Dawn Newspapers and Associated Press of Pakistan. 19 June 2011. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
  9. ↑ "Captain Wasi decides to shift on PNS Babar for safety". 19 June 2011.
  10. ↑ "MV Suez crew to be shifted to PNS Babur, GEO News". 19 June 2011.
  11. ↑ "Tug towing MV Suez to Oman also breaks down". 19 June 2011.
  12. ↑ "MV Suez crew shifted to Pakistani warship PNS Babar". India Times. 19 June 2011. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
  13. 1 2 3 4 "MV Suez crew shifted to PNS Babur". Zee News. 19 June 2011. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
  14. 1 2 3 4 "MV Suez crew abandon ship, to be brought to Pakistan". IBN India. 19 June 2011. Archived from the original on 22 June 2011. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
  15. ↑ "PNS Babur successfully completes rescue operation". DAWN News. 19 June 2011. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
  16. 1 2 "Indian sailors in MV Suez would fly back home after reaching Pakistan". Daily News & Analysis (DNA) India. 20 June 2011. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 "MV Suez gives Indian Navy the cold treatment". NDTV of India. 16 June 2011. Retrieved 24 June 2011.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.