Indian ship escorts World Food Program ship

(B2) The Indian Ship INS Sunayna escorted a World Food Program boat loaded with 360 tons of food aid from Bosaso, northern Somalia, to Berbera, Somaliland, on Christmas Eve, December 24-25, announcement EUNAVFOR Atalanta HQ.

Present in the region since October 6, 2018, this is the first time that the Sunayna (P57) escorts vital humanitarian aid. Usually, the protection and distribution of humanitarian aid was one of the main tasks of EUNAVFOR in the Gulf of Aden. Since the launch of Operation Atalanta in 2008, 450 PMA shipments carrying around 1,8 million tons of food aid have arrived safely in Somalia.

Committed to anti-piracy actions

This high seas patrol boat had detected, on October 7, a suspicious fishing vessel about 25 nm off the coast of Somalia near the island of Socotra. After investigation, the Indian sailors discover that they are fishermen, without authorization, but armed all the same, according to the Times of India. Weapons (four AK-47 type Kalashnikovs and a light machine gun, as well as ammunition) were seized.

(MHA, with NGV)