Operation Umeed-e-Nuh

Operation Umeed-e-Nuh (Operation New Hope)
Part of Piracy in Somalia, Operation Ocean Shield, and Somali Pirates attacks on merchant ships
Location	Arabian Sea
Planned	Pakistan Navy
Planned by	Special Services Group Navy Naval Intelligence
Objective	Provide humanitarian assistance to MV Suez evacuation of the crew
Date	16–19 June 2011 13:13 PST – 15:10 PST
Executed by	PNS Babur PNS Zulfiqar
Outcome	Operation successful
Casualties	None

Operation Umeed-e-Nuh (Operation New Hope),^[1] was a naval humanitarian and a rescue operation in order to secure the merchant vessel MV Suez. The operation was carried out by the Pakistan Navy.^[2] The merchant vessel MV Suez operated under the flag of Panama and had an Egyptian owner, Red Sea Navigation. On 2 August 2010, the vessel was attacked and taken hostage by Somali pirates. Pakistani human rights activist Ansar Burney and Governor of Sindh, Dr Ishrat-ul-Ibad Khan managed to secure the release of the 22 men crew with a payout of US$2.1 million. The pirates released the vessel on 16 June 2011. However, multiple issues involving low fuel and deteriorated operational and material meant that the crew needed additional help from the Pakistan Navy.

Upon receiving request for help by the commanding officer Captain Syed Wasi Hassan, the Pakistan Navy dispatched its combatant frigates and naval helicopters to escort the merchant vessel to safety. On 13 June 2011, naval frigate PNS Babur successfully evacuated and later shifted the crew members to safety on PNS Zulfiqar. The crew members, consisting of 4 Pakistanis, 6 Indians, 11 Egyptians and one Sri Lankan, were successfully brought to land at the port city of Karachi.