India Rescues Hijacked Iranian Vessel
A 48-hour operation in the Arabian Sea freed 20 crew members and captured 12 suspected pirates.
By Hiroshi Ferrari ·
Somali piracy has returned to the waters near the Horn of Africa, prompting a complex military response from New Delhi. Indian naval forces completed a rescue operation on Monday, freeing an Iranian fishing boat and its crew after a standoff lasting more than 48 hours.
The vessel, named the Azini, was hijacked on Oct. 29 between Bandar Bayla and Hafun. India's Defense Ministry stated that the rescue concluded in the Arabian Sea, a location more than 3,000 kilometers from Mumbai. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh confirmed the completion of the mission on Tuesday. The operation involved a warship, a maritime surveillance aircraft, and marine commandos. An Indian Air Force C-17 aircraft also airdropped additional troops during the action.
According to a Puntland Maritime Police Force official, Indian forces disarmed 12 suspected Somali pirates. The pirates were also stripped of their mobile phones and released. These individuals, along with two Somali security guards, later arrived at Bandar Bayla in northeastern Somalia. Three of those who came ashore sustained minor injuries. The official did not clarify whether the injuries belonged to the suspects or the guards.
India's ministry reported that the operation ended without casualties or injuries. However, the ministry did not specify if this assessment included the security guards or the released pirates. It remained unclear whether the rescued crew stayed on the vessel or were transferred elsewhere. Regional authorities in Puntland learned of the successful rescue only after it had already taken place.
A discrepancy exists in the reported crew numbers. A Puntland maritime police officer said on Sunday that the boat carried 21 Iranian crew members. India announced the rescue of 20 crew members. The reason for this difference was not immediately explained. Indian forces had tracked the vessel by sea and air before securing it. The ministry cited concerns that pirates might use the boat as a floating base to attack commercial shipping.
The hijacking occurred amid a resurgence of Somali piracy in the Gulf of Aden and western Indian Ocean. By August, pirates had seized six commercial vessels since April. These targets included the oil products tanker Sibu 1, taken about 252 kilometers east of al-Mukalla, Yemen. In September, Puntland authorities reported that pirates killed five crew members of the tanker MT Honour 25. Security forces later recovered that vessel and detained 16 suspected pirates.
The renewed threat complicates shipping routes already strained by the Iran war. Attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and threats from Yemen's Houthi rebels against Saudi-linked traffic in Bab el-Mandeb have increased risks. These disruptions have lengthened voyages and raised tanker costs. Some oil shipments now divert around Africa, extending journeys by up to a month.
