New Delhi: An Indian Navy warship will
escort the Egyptian merchant vessel MV Suez to Salalah port in
Oman with 22 crew members including six Indians, two days
after it was released by Somali pirates.
MV Suez was released by pirates on June 13 and is now
"safely proceeding" towards Salalah with 22 crew members,
including six Indians, and will be escorted by an Indian Navy
Godavari-class frigate to Salalah, government sources said
here.
The ship at the moment is being escorted by warships of
European Navies present in the region and will be under the
escort of the Indian Navy tomorrow morning and will reach
Salalah on June 17 ship, they said.
On the possibility of the ship being attacked again by
other pirate groups, the sources said the Indian Navy had
recommended that the owners of the ship provide a tug for
technical support and a `Vessel Protection Detachment` to be
deployed on the MV Suez for protecting it from pirates but
they have not adhered to it.
Sources said the Navy is coordinating with other navies
in the region and closely monitoring the situation during its
passage to Salalah.
Somali pirates had released the crew members after ransom
was paid to them. The pirates had taken the crew members,
including Pakistanis, Egyptians and a Sri Lankan, hostage
after capturing the vessel MV Suez last year.
PTI
