Indian Navy Rescues 20 Crew from Hijacked Iranian Fishing Boat off Somalia

Indian naval forces have successfully rescued an Iranian fishing boat and its 20 crew members after it was hijacked off the coast of Somalia. The operation, which lasted more than 48 hours, concluded on Monday in the Arabian Sea, over 3,000 kilometers from Mumbai, India's Defense Minister Rajnath Singh announced on Tuesday.

The rescued vessel, named Azini, was hijacked on October 29 between Bandar Bayla and Hafun. A Puntland maritime police officer had earlier reported that the boat carried 21 Iranian crew members and two Somali security guards, but the discrepancy with India's rescue figure of 20 could not be immediately clarified. The Indian Defense Ministry did not specify whether the rescued crew remained on the vessel or were moved elsewhere.

The operation involved an Indian warship, a maritime surveillance aircraft, and marine commandos. An Indian Air Force C-17 aircraft airdropped additional commandos to support the mission, the ministry said. Indian forces tracked the vessel by sea and air before securing it, amid concerns that pirates could use the boat as a floating base to attack commercial ships.

A Puntland Maritime Police Force official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press that Indian forces disarmed 12 suspected Somali pirates, confiscated their mobile phones, and released them. The suspects and two Somali security guards later came ashore at Bandar Bayla in northeastern Somalia. Three of those who came ashore had minor injuries, though it was not specified whether they were suspects or guards, or how they were hurt.

India's Defense Ministry stated that the operation ended without any casualties or injuries, but it did not clarify whether this account covered everyone involved or only the rescued crew.

The rescue highlights ongoing security challenges in the waters off Somalia, where piracy has threatened international shipping. The Indian Navy's intervention prevented the hijacked vessel from potentially being used for further attacks on commercial traffic in the region.