U.S. and Oman Navy Rescue Indian Dhow from Somali Pirates - One Sailor Dead

U.S. and Oman Navy Rescue Indian Dhow from Somali Pirates – One Sailor Dead (sap/ecoterra)

The president of the Kutch Vahanvati Association (KVA) Kasam Ali Bholim said the vessel ‘Faiz-E-Osmani’, was rescued by a joint operation of US and Oman navies. The navies could easily catch up with the small cargo vessel, which has a maximum speed of 6-7 knots only.

The white-green Indian-flagged dhow MSV OSMANI (aka MSV FAIZ-E-OSMANI, aka MSV FEIZE-E-OSMAN), a launch of 500 tons with 8 sailors was sea-jacked on March 28, March 28, 2010 at 1530 hrs at position S 05-11-517 E51-17.

One of the sailors died as he jumped into the sea fearful of getting hurt, a shipping association today said.

“The navies which were searching for pirates in the sea near the Somalia coast spotted the vessel and cautioned the Indian sailors on board to take cover before the rescue operation began,” Bholim told PTI.

“One of the sailors Sultan Ahmed Khijja jumped into the sea fearing that he might get hurt during the operation. He was rescued but could not be saved as he had gulped water in large quantity,” he said.

No information was immediately available on the fate of the Somalis.

Bholim said that they came to know about the incident when the US Navy called the vessel’s owner in Dubai and informed them about the rescue. The owner also informed the KVA about the entire incident, he said. All the sailors rescued are from Mandvi taluk in Kutch district, including Khijja, he told NDTV.

“The body of Khijja has been taken to Muscat. I got a phone call from the Indian Embassy there informing about the incident,” Bholim said.

“They would be soon sending the body to Mumbai, and would be informing us about the date,” he said.
Sultan is survived by his wife and a small girl, who live in Mandvi.

Bholim said he had no information about any capture of pirates.

KVA has already approached the port authorities in Gujarat and the Director General Shipping in this regard.
Following concerns raised by the sailors’ association, India has approached the Somali government for help to ensure the release of the captured dhows and over 80 Indians still in the captivity of pirates.

The spree of hijackings in the last week of March has triggered concerns as the incidents took place quite away from the Gulf of Aden near the Somalian coast which is notorious for piracy.

- see further information on the war on the waters around the Horn of Africa at www.australia.to