Indian Navy foils Somali pirates' plot, rescues 20 Iranian crew from hijacked ship

The Indian Navy has rescued all 20 crew members of a fishing vessel hijacked by heavily armed Somali pirates in the Arabian Sea, completing a meticulously coordinated 48-hour operation more than 3,000 km from Mumbai.The Navy located and intercepted the vessel before securing the release of the crew and the ship from the pirates on Monday, with support from the Air Force. The operation came amid a resurgence of Somali piracy across the Gulf of Aden and the western Indian Ocean, where recent hijackings have renewed concerns about threats to commercial shipping.Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the Indian Navy for successfully locating, intercepting and securing the release of the Iranian fishing vessel, Azini, and its crew members. The operation was carried out with timely support from the Indian Air Force, he said.In a post on X, Singh said the operation demonstrated the Navy's high operational readiness and its ability to respond decisively to maritime threats across the region. "Our brave personnel have once again demonstrated India's ability, intent and resolve to safeguard lives, uphold maritime security and ensure stability across the Indian Ocean Region," he said.He pointed out that the operation was a testimony of "Indian Navy’s high operational readiness and ability to respond decisively to maritime threats across the region."The rescue operation came after Somali pirates hijacked the Azini off the northeastern coast of Somalia, raising concerns that the vessel could be used as a base for further attacks on commercial shipping. The vessel was seized on Thursday between the coastal towns of Bandar Bayla and Hafun in northeastern Somalia.According to officials, 12 pirates had boarded and seized the fishing vessel. At the time of the hijacking, it was carrying 21 Iranian crew members and two Somali security guards, taking the total number of people on board to 23.The Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean had issued an alert about the hijacking, warning that the vessel was approaching a commercial shipping lane and could potentially be used as a "mother ship" to facilitate further attacks on merchant vessels.The hijacking of the Azini comes amid a resurgence of Somali piracy in the Gulf of Aden and the western Indian Ocean, with several commercial vessels coming under attack in recent months.By August, pirates had hijacked six commercial vessels since April, with some attacks taking place considerable distances from Somalia's coastline. Among the vessels seized was the oil products tanker Sibu 1, which was hijacked approximately 252 km east of Al-Mukalla in Yemen.In another incident in September, Puntland authorities said pirates had killed five crew members of the tanker MT Honour 25 before security forces recovered the vessel. The tanker had been held by pirates since April. Authorities subsequently detained 16 suspected pirates.International naval patrols and improvements in maritime security had significantly reduced piracy off Somalia over the past decade. However, the latest hijackings have renewed concerns about the threat posed by pirates operating along the country's extensive coastline.The resurgence also adds to the security challenges facing commercial shipping in the region, which has already witnessed disruptions linked to the Iran war, attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and threats by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels against shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.Against this backdrop, the Indian Navy's successful rescue of all 20 crew members of the Azini not just marks the safe conclusion of the 48-hour operation, but underscores India's stated commitment to protecting lives and maritime security across the Indian Ocean Region.- Ends