ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Navy ship PNS Shamsheer saved 41 people during a counter-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden.
The ship was operating as a part of Combined Task Force 151 (CTF-151), an international coalition task force of naval ships and aircraft formed under the UN mandate to counter piracy in Gulf of Aden. CTF-151 is presently being commanded by Pakistan Navy Commodore Muhammad Shuaib. According to reports, CTF-151 Headquarters (HQ) received information about a Yemeni dhow, carrying 60 personnel, which had
sunk 30 nautical miles north-west of Socotra Island. On getting information, CTF-151 HQ ordered aircraft to carry out surveillance to locate the survivors and tasked PNS Shamsheer for search and rescue operation. PNS Shamsheer responded to the cal
l and reached the sunken dhow within few hours. Upon reaching the area, PNS Shamsheer assumed duties of on-scene commander and coordinated the efforts that involved naval ships of Spain and Australia aided by land-based aircraft of Japan and Germany. Overall, the whole operation was coordinated by CTF-151 and commanded on scene by PNS Shamsheer. Resultantly, 41 personnel onboard the ill-fated Yemeni boat were rescued. The operation signifies the professional acumen of Pakistan Navy that it coordinated
such a large-scale operation involving navies from around the globe. Previously, during deployment, PNS Shamsheer assisted the maritime community. Medical assistance was offered to the crew members of a cattle dhow named Al Amir while it was transpor
ting livestock from Somalia to Oman. Similarly, on Novembe
r 26, medical assistance was offered to a Somali dhow, Faisesale Mohammadi, in Gulf of Aden.