Indian Navy frees 20 crew from hijacked Iranian vessel off Somalia
Indian commandos airdropped from a C-17 boarded the fishing vessel Azini on Monday and freed the crew with no casualties, India's Defence Ministry said. Pirates seized the boat off Somalia's northeastern coast on October 29.
The Indian Navy has rescued all 20 crew members of the Azini, an Iranian fishing vessel hijacked by armed pirates off Somalia, India's Defence Ministry said on Tuesday. The operation lasted 48 hours and ended on Monday, November 2. No one was killed or injured, the ministry said, according to a Shabelle report carried by AllAfrica. A warship backed by maritime surveillance aircraft located and tracked the vessel. The ministry said the navy used "calibrated non-kinetic measures" to stop it from escaping. Indian Marine Commandos, known as MARCOS, were then airdropped from an Indian Air Force C-17 transport plane. They boarded the boat, overcame the pirates and freed the hostages. The rescue took place more than 3,000 kilometres from Mumbai. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the forces involved. In a statement on X, he said the operation showed the navy's "high operational readiness and ability to respond decisively to maritime threats across the region." He added that it showed India's commitment to protecting seafarers and trade routes in the Indian Ocean. According to the EU's Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean (MSCIO), pirates boarded the Azini on Thursday, October 29. The vessel was about 185 nautical miles east of Bandarbayla. A Puntland Maritime Police Force officer told The Associated Press that 12…
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