Plans to launch operation against pirates on hijacked MV Abdullah, ship owners unaware
The officials of SR Shipping, owner of Bangladeshi-flagged ship MV Abdullah that was hijacked by Somali pirates last week, are unaware of the plans to launch an operation against the pirates by Somali police and international navies to rescue the abducted crew members.
Meherul Karim, chief executive officer of SR Shipping, told The Business Standard, at 8pm on Monday, that they had not been informed of any such plan.
"The safety of our crew members is our top priority. We couldn't afford to risk the lives of our sailors, so we declined the proposal for a rescue operation by the EU Maritime Force and the Indian Navy.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
"We have already informed the government to deny any further approach to conduct military operations," he said.
"The news of preparation to launch an attack caught our attention and we are trying to communicate with the government as we do not have any plan to allow any military intervention on the ship as there is always a risk of casualties on board," Meherul added.
Earlier on Monday, Reuters reported that Somali police and international navies were preparing to attack a commercial ship that was hijacked by pirates last week, the Puntland region's police force said, two days after Indian commandos rescued another cargo vessel held by pirates.
The police force from the semi-autonomous region of Puntland, a base for many pirate gangs, said it was on high alert and prepared to participate in an operation against the pirates holding MV Abdullah.
"Puntland police forces are ready after they got reports that international navies are planning an attack," it said in a statement.
