Iranian fishing vessel seized by pirates: Indian Navy rescued the crew
The rescue operations lasted 48 hours.
The Indian Navy has freed an Iranian fishing vessel and its 20 crew members who were hijacked off the coast of Somalia. The rescue operation lasted more than 48 hours. This was announced by the Indian Ministry of Defense, AP reported.
According to Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, the rescue operation for the vessel named "Azini" was completed on November 2 in the Arabian Sea, more than 3,000 kilometers from the city of Mumbai.
During the operation, Indian military personnel disarmed 12 Somali pirates. Their mobile phones were confiscated and the suspects were released. This was reported to the Associated Press agency by a representative of the Puntland Maritime Police Force. According to him, the suspects and two Somali security officers subsequently reached the city of Bandar Bayla in northeastern Somalia. The three people who came ashore had minor bodily injuries.
A warship, a maritime surveillance aircraft, and special naval forces participated in the rescue operation. Additionally, additional special forces were deployed to the area via an Indian Air Force C-17 aircraft.
The vessel "Azini" was seized by pirates on October 29 between the cities of Bandar Bayla and Hafun. A Puntland official had previously stated that the vessel had 21 Iranian crew members and two Somali security officers on board. India reported that 20 crew members were rescued. No explanation has yet been given for this discrepancy.
Indian military personnel tracked the vessel by sea and air. According to officials, there were concerns that pirates might use it as a floating base for attacking commercial vessels.
For information, in recent months attacks by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden and the western Indian Ocean are intensifying again. By August, pirates had seized six commercial vessels since April. In September, they killed five crew members of the tanker "MT Honour 25," which had been held hostage since April. Security forces later recaptured the tanker and detained 16 suspects.
The increase in piracy in the region, as well as problems related to security in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab, pose an additional threat to international maritime trade and oil transportation.
