Indian Navy Frees Iranian Crew From Hijacked Vessel Off Somalia
The 48-hour operation recovered the Azini and 20 crew members after pirates seized the boat in late October.
By Ahmed Peterson ·
Indian naval forces completed a rescue operation in the Arabian Sea on Monday, freeing an Iranian fishing vessel and its crew from pirates.
The Azini was recovered more than 3,000 kilometers from Mumbai after being held captive since October 29. Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh confirmed the completion of the mission on Tuesday. The vessel had been hijacked between Bandar Bayla and Hafun, a stretch of water in northeastern Somalia.
Indian officials stated that the operation involved a warship, a surveillance aircraft, and marine commandos. An Air Force C-17 plane airdropped additional troops to the site. The ministry reported that the mission ended without casualties or injuries among the rescued crew, though it did not clarify if that status applied to all personnel involved.
A Puntland Maritime Police Force official told The Associated Press that Indian forces disarmed 12 suspected Somali pirates. The authorities confiscated the suspects' mobile phones and released them. The group, along with two Somali security guards, arrived at Bandar Bayla after the operation. Three individuals sustained minor injuries, though the official did not specify who was hurt or how.
The crew count reported by regional authorities differs slightly from the Indian figure. A Puntland officer said on Sunday that the vessel carried 21 Iranian crew members and two guards. The one-person discrepancy between that total and India's count of 20 rescued crew members had not been explained as of Tuesday. Regional leaders learned of the rescue only after it was finished.
The hijacking occurred during a period of renewed piracy activity in the region. Since April, pirates have seized six commercial vessels, including the oil products tanker Sibu 1. In September, security forces recovered the tanker MT Honour 25 after killing five crew members. These incidents have added to shipping risks in a sea lane already complicated by the Iran war and Houthi threats to Saudi-linked trade.
The disruptions have forced some oil shipments to route around Africa, extending voyages by up to a month and raising costs for tanker operators.
Source: KPBS
