Indian Navy Frees Hijacked Iranian Boat: 48-Hour Rescue
Commandos recovered the Azini and its crew from Somali pirates in the Arabian Sea.
By Ivan Mori ·
Piracy has returned to the waters off Somalia, prompting a major military response from India.
Indian naval forces completed a 48-hour operation on Monday to free the Iranian fishing boat Azini and its crew of 20.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh announced the rescue from the Arabian Sea, a location more than 3,000 kilometers from Mumbai.
The operation involved a warship, a maritime surveillance aircraft, and marine commandos.
An Indian Air Force C-17 aircraft dropped additional commandos onto the scene.
The vessel was hijacked on Oct. 29 between Bandar Bayla and Hafun.
Puntland Maritime Police said the boat carried 21 Iranian crew members and two Somali security guards at the time of the hijacking.
Indian officials reported the crew count as 20, and did not explain the discrepancy.
The ministry stated the operation ended without casualties or injuries.
It was unclear if that assessment covered the crew, the pirates, or the security guards.
A Puntland Maritime Police official told the Associated Press that Indian forces disarmed 12 suspected Somali pirates.
The pirates and two security guards were released and later came ashore at Bandar Bayla in northeastern Somalia on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively, depending on the timeline of the release versus the rescue completion, though the source states they came ashore after the operation. The official clarified they came ashore after the rescue. Three individuals had minor injuries, but it was not specified who they were or how they were hurt. The ministry did not clarify if the crew remained on the vessel or were moved elsewhere. Indian forces tracked the ship by sea and air before securing it. Officials worried pirates might use the boat as a base to attack commercial ships. Regional authorities learned of the rescue only after it was finished. Somali piracy has risen since April, with six commercial vessels hijacked by August. In September, pirates killed five crew members of the tanker MT Honour 25 before security forces recovered the ship. Authorities detained 16 suspected pirates in that case. The renewed threat adds to shipping risks in a region already strained by the Iran war and Houthi attacks. Tanker costs have risen, and some voyages around Africa are up to a month longer. Improved security had reduced piracy over the past decade, but recent events have renewed concerns.
