Indian Navy Frees 20 Iranian Sailors From Hijacked Vessel

Twenty Iranian sailors regained their freedom on Monday after Indian naval forces completed a rescue mission in the Arabian Sea. The operation, which lasted more than 48 hours, ended the hijacking of the fishing vessel Azini, which had been taken near the Somali coast.

Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh confirmed that the rescue was finalized over 3,000 kilometers from Mumbai. The Indian Defense Ministry stated that the operation concluded without any casualties or injuries, though it did not clarify if this count included the security guards or the full crew complement.

A Puntland Maritime Police Force official told The Associated Press that Indian forces captured 12 suspected Somali pirates. The pirates were disarmed and had their mobile phones confiscated before being released. They later arrived at Bandar Bayla in northeastern Somalia along with two Somali security guards. Three individuals sustained minor injuries during the process, but the official did not specify who was hurt or how.

The vessel was seized on October 29 between Bandar Bayla and Hafun. Regional authorities initially reported that 21 Iranian crew members and two guards were aboard, a number that does not match the 20 rescued by India. The discrepancy has not yet been explained.

Indian forces used a warship, a surveillance aircraft, and marine commandos to track the boat. An Indian Air Force C-17 airdrop delivered additional commandos to the scene. Officials noted that pirates sometimes use hijacked vessels as floating bases to attack commercial shipping, a threat that prompted the rapid response.

This incident is part of a wider surge in Somali piracy. Since April, pirates have hijacked six commercial vessels in the Gulf of Aden and western Indian Ocean. In September, security forces recovered the tanker MT Honour 25 after pirates killed five of its crew members. Authorities detained 16 suspects in that separate case.

The renewed piracy risk complicates shipping in a region already strained by the Iran war. Attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and threats from Yemen's Houthi rebels have forced some oil shipments to take routes around Africa, adding up to a month to voyage times and increasing tanker costs.