One Killed As US-Oman Navies Rescue Indian Dhow Seized By Somali Pirates

(RTTNews) - An Indian dhow seized by Somali pirates last month was freed in a joint operation by U.S. and Oman naval forces which, however, resulted in the death of an Indian sailor, media reports from the Indian city of Ahmedabad said on Tuesday.

The reports quoted Kasam Ali Bholim, President of the Kutch Vahanvati Association (KVA), as saying that the vessel 'Faiz-E-Osmani,' hijacked on March 28, was rescued and seven of its crew were released unharmed while the eighth one died as he jumped into the sea fearful of getting hurt in the operation.

"The navies which were searching for pirates in the sea near the Somali coast spotted the vessel and cautioned the Indian sailors on board to take cover before the rescue operation began. One of the sailors, Sultan Ahmed Khijja, jumped into the sea fearing that he might get hurt during the operation," Bholim said.

Details of the rescue operation emerged after the U.S. Navy contacted the vessel's Dubai-based owner and conveyed the information which was then passed on to KVA, he said.

Bholim said all crew members of Faiz-E-Osmani, including deceased Sultan, were from Mandvi taluk in Kutch district of the western Indian state of Gujarat.

Bholim said he had received a call from the Indian Embassy in Muscat saying Sultan's body had been taken to Oman from where it would be sent home to India at a pre-arranged date.

However, he was unable to throw much light on the fate of the pirates who seized the vessel.

Two other Indian vessels 'Krishna Jyot' and its 15-member crew and 'Al-Kadri' with 11 sailors on board captured by pirates were released earlier this month.

The spate of hijackings of Indian vessels recently has set off alarm bells with Indian authorities approaching the Somali government for help to secure their release.