By IANS,
New Delhi : Three Indians are being held hostage by Somali pirates on board a Kenyan fishing vessel in the Gulf of Aden since Jan 9, the Indian Navy said Friday while assuring that action would be taken to free them.
The ship, M V Alpha Manyara, was taken over by the pirates near the Kenyan coast. It is also believed to have had Kenyan sailors on board who are said to have been released by the pirates.
“It is a fishing boat that Kenyans have been operating from Kenya. An Indian engineer, captain and sailor are on board. We will take whatever action is required to see that they are released at the earliest,” Indian Navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta told reporters here.
A relative of one of the Indians being held hostage said the pirates were holding the Indians after setting free eight Kenyan sailors.
The incident comes two months after Somali pirates hijacked the Stolt Valor vessel with 22 crewmembers including 18 Indians off the Yemeni coast Sep 15. Eventually all the Indians were freed.