A seaman from the Indian Navy has gone missing from a naval vessel since February 27, prompting the launch of a large-scale search operation to find him. According to the Mumbai-headquartered Western Naval Command, the sailor has been recognized as Sahil Verma. Meanwhile, a high-level board of inquiry has additionally been initiated to analyze the unlucky incident.
“In an unfortunate incident, Sahil Verma, Seaman II, has been reported missing at sea from Indian Naval Ship whilst on deployment since 27 Feb 24. “The Navy instantly launched a massive search operation with ships and plane, which continues to be persevering with,” the Western Naval Command posted on X.
“Naval Board of Inquiry has been ordered for detailed investigations,” it added. The Western Naval Command additional acknowledged that the precise circumstances main as much as the incident are but to be ascertained.
Indian Navy items being deployed in overseas areas
Earlier in February, the defence ministry acknowledged that Indian Navy items are being deployed in strategic waters in Djibouti, Gulf of Aden, East Coast of Somalia in addition to within the North and Central Arabian Sea for cover of service provider vessels in view of the regional maritime safety state of affairs. Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt stated in Lok Sabha the Navy deployed its items within the Gulf of Aden and East coast of Africa in direction of anti-piracy patrols since 2008 and a complete of three,440 ships and over 25,000 seafarers have been “safely escorted”.
There have been rising world issues over Iran-backed Houthi militants attacking varied service provider ships within the Red Sea since November, apparently in response to Israel’s navy offensive in Gaza. Responding to a query, Bhatt stated the Navy can be sharing info with pleasant overseas international locations to determine the sources and gamers concerned within the assaults.
In the previous couple of weeks, the Indian Navy prolonged help to quite a lot of service provider vessels within the Arabian Sea following assaults on them. Since 2008, the Indian Navy has deployed its items within the Gulf of Aden and East coast of Africa in direction of anti-piracy patrols, the minister added.
(With inputs from PTI)
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