Indian Navy rescues hijacked Iranian vessel off Somalia
The vessel, Azini, was hijacked by an armed pirate group earlier last month
PTI
NEW DELHI, 3 NOV
The Indian Navy has rescued a fishing vessel with 20 Iranians off Somalia weeks after it was hijacked by pirates.
The vessel, Azini, was hijacked by an armed pirate group earlier last month, the Navy said on Tuesday.
The operation culminated in the safe rescue of all 20 crew members, with no casualties or injuries, it said.
The Iranian embassy in New Delhi expressed its "sincere appreciation" to the government of India, the Indian Navy and the IAF for the "successful operation" in rescuing the 20 Iranian crew members of the fishing vessel.
The Indian Navy said the hijacking represented a "significant maritime security threat", with the possibility of the vessel being employed as a "mother ship" to launch further attacks against merchant shipping.
The Navy said, it tasked a mission-deployed warship to intervene, supported by a maritime reconnaissance aircraft.
"These platforms located the vessel, tracked its movements and employed calibrated non-kinetic measures to contain its movement and prevent its escape," it said in a statement.
It said marine commandos were deployed through a precision airdrop by an IAF C-17 aircraft.
"Executing a swift and well-coordinated tactical intervention, the Indian Navy secured the vessel, overcame the pirate threat and ensured the safe release of all 20 crew members," the Navy said.
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