India’s Navy freed the Iranian fishing vessel Azini and rescued 20 crew members after a reported pirate seizure, ending a more than 48-hour operation that drew thanks from Iran’s embassy.
India’s Ministry of Defence said a Navy warship and maritime reconnaissance aircraft tracked Azini. The Navy used what the ministry called “calibrated non-kinetic measures” to contain the vessel. Marine Commandos received additional personnel in a precision airdrop from an Indian Air Force C-17 aircraft. The ministry reported no casualties or injuries among the 20 rescued.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the rescue was completed Nov. 2 in the Arabian Sea, more than 3,000 kilometers (1,865 miles) from Mumbai.
The European Union Naval Force’s Maritime Security Centre–Indian Ocean (MSCIO) said Azini was reportedly hijacked off northeastern Somalia on Oct. 29. MSCIO warned pirates might use the fishing vessel as a mothership to support attacks on other ships, but its alert did not report any attack launched from Azini. MSCIO later said Operation Atalanta had confirmed the vessel’s liberation and that the incident was closed.
The Associated Press, citing an unnamed Puntland Maritime Police Force official, reported that Azini had carried 21 Iranian crew members and two Somali security guards before the rescue. The official said 12 suspected Somali pirates were disarmed and released and that the guards later came ashore. India confirmed the rescue of 20 crew members, but the ministry release did not explain the difference in the reported crew count or say what happened to the suspected pirates.
In a Nov. 3 post, Iran’s Embassy in New Delhi thanked the Indian government, Navy and Air Force. The embassy credited coordination among the armed forces and said the rescue reflected India’s humanitarian role abroad.
AP reported that Somali piracy had become far less common over the prior decade alongside stronger maritime security and international naval patrols. The outlet said recent ship seizures have put the threat back in view.
