Indian naval forces have successfully rescued an Iranian fishing boat and its 20 crew members who were hijacked off the coast of Somalia. The operation, which lasted more than 48 hours, concluded on Monday in the Arabian Sea, approximately 1,865 miles from Mumbai, according to India's Defense Ministry.
During the operation, Indian forces disarmed 12 suspected Somali pirates and confiscated their mobile phones. A Puntland Maritime Police Force official confirmed that the suspects and two Somali security guards later came ashore in northeastern Somalia. Three individuals sustained minor injuries, though the official did not specify whether they were suspects or guards, or the nature of their injuries. India's ministry stated the operation concluded without casualties or injuries, but it remained unclear if this accounted for everyone aboard the vessel.
The rescued fishing boat, identified as the Azini, was reportedly hijacked on October 29 between the towns of Bandar Bayla and Hafun. The vessel was said to be carrying 21 Iranian crew members and two Somali security guards, though the exact number of those rescued differed from the initial crew count mentioned.
Indian forces tracked the hijacked vessel by both sea and air before executing the rescue. The ministry indicated concern that the pirates might have intended to use the boat as a mobile base for further attacks on commercial ships.
The hijacking occurs amidst a resurgence of piracy in the Gulf of Aden and the western Indian Ocean. Since April, pirates have hijacked at least six commercial vessels, some operating far from Somalia's coastline. These incidents include the seizure of the oil tanker MT Honour 25 in September, during which five crew members were killed before security forces recovered the vessel, and the capture of the oil products tanker Sibu 1.
These renewed piracy activities add to the existing shipping risks in a region already affected by maritime disruptions. Attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and threats against shipping lanes by Yemen's Houthi rebels have complicated oil transport routes, leading to longer voyages and increased tanker costs.