New Delhi: The Indian Navy successfully rescued eight Pakistani fishermen in the Arabian Sea on March 15. The fishermen were found stranded on a life raft around 170 nautical miles east of the Port of Duqm in Oman.
The rescue operation was carried out by the Indian Navy’s destroyer INS Surat, which is currently deployed in the Gulf of Oman in the western Arabian Sea as part of ongoing regional security operations amid rising tensions in West Asia.
According to sources, the fishermen were originally part of a 14-member crew aboard the Pakistani fishing vessel Islami. The vessel had reportedly departed from somewhere in Iran coast on February 24. Approximately ten days prior to their rescue, a fire broke out in the engine room of the boat. Six crew members were trapped and could not escape, while the remaining fishermen jumped overboard to save their lives.
The eight survivors were later detected on March 11 by a low-flying aircraft. Subsequently, a boat approached them and provided a life raft along with food supplies. The fishermen remained adrift on this life raft until they were rescued by INS Surat.
Following the rescue, the fishermen were taken onboard INS Surat, where they were kept until the last information received. Efforts are currently underway to gather further details about the incident.
The process of disembarking the rescued fishermen at a suitable port is currently being coordinated with relevant authorities and stakeholders, including naval command, maritime agencies, and diplomatic channels. Given that the rescued individuals are Pakistani nationals, coordination with concerned foreign authorities is also being undertaken.