Navy frees Iranian crew after two-day ordeal
Indian forces recovered the fishing vessel Azini from pirates in the Arabian Sea, ending a 48-hour operation that involved air and sea assets.
By Yuki Kaminski ·
Twenty Iranian sailors who had been held captive on a fishing boat off the coast of Somalia were freed on Monday. The crew of the Azini had been aboard the vessel for nearly a week when Indian naval forces intervened. The rescue took place in the Arabian Sea, a location more than 3,000 kilometers from Mumbai. Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh confirmed the completion of the mission on Tuesday.
The hijacking began on October 29. The Azini was seized in waters between Bandar Bayla and Hafun. At the time of the seizure, a Puntland maritime police officer stated the ship carried 21 Iranian crew members and two Somali security guards. That total of 23 people differs from the 20 crew members India says were rescued. Officials have not explained the discrepancy.
The recovery operation lasted more than 48 hours. Indian forces deployed a warship, a maritime surveillance aircraft, and marine commandos. An Air Force C-17 aircraft also participated by airdropping additional commandos to the scene. The military tracked the vessel using both air and sea assets before securing it. The Defense Ministry stated the operation ended without casualties or injuries, though it did not clarify if that count included the pirates or the two security guards.
A Puntland Maritime Police Force official told The Associated Press that Indian forces disarmed 12 suspected Somali pirates. The soldiers confiscated the suspects' mobile phones and released them. The 12 suspects and the two guards later arrived at Bandar Bayla in northeastern Somalia. Three individuals among that group sustained minor injuries. The official did not specify whether the injured were pirates or guards, nor how they were hurt. Regional authorities learned of the rescue only after it was finished.
This incident is part of a renewed wave of piracy in the region. Since April, pirates have hijacked six commercial vessels by August. One target was the oil products tanker Sibu 1, seized about 252 kilometers east of al-Mukalla, Yemen. In September, pirates killed five crew members of the tanker MT Honour 25. Security forces later recovered that ship and detained 16 suspected pirates.
The surge in piracy occurs while shipping routes face other disruptions. The Iran war has complicated transport through the Strait of Hormuz. Houthi rebels in Yemen have also threatened Saudi-linked shipping through Bab el-Mandeb. These conflicts have forced some oil shipments to divert around Africa, adding up to a month to voyages and raising costs. Indian forces cited concerns that pirates might use the Azini as a floating base to attack commercial ships.
