Indian Navy Frees 20 Crew After Somalia Boat Hijacking
Twenty crew members are safe after Indian naval forces freed an Iranian fishing boat seized off Somalia, an incident that brought suspected pirates and Somali
Twenty crew members are safe after Indian naval forces freed an Iranian fishing boat seized off Somalia, an incident that brought suspected pirates and Somali security personnel ashore in the country’s northeast. The operation lasted more than 48 hours and ended in the Arabian Sea.
India’s Defense Ministry announced the rescue Tuesday. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said the crew’s boat, the Azini, was recovered Monday more than 3,000 kilometers (1,865 miles) from Mumbai.
Suspects disarmed and released
An official with the Puntland Maritime Police Force said Indian forces disarmed 12 suspected Somali pirates, took their mobile phones and then released them. The official spoke anonymously because he was not authorized to address the media.
The suspects and two Somali security guards later reached Bandar Bayla, in northeastern Somalia, the official said. Three people who came ashore had minor injuries. The official did not identify whether they were among the suspected pirates or the guards, or explain how they were hurt.
India’s ministry said the operation concluded without casualties or injuries. The statement left unclear whether that description referred to everyone involved or only the rescued crew.
What is known about the rescue
The accounts confirm that the vessel had been hijacked off Somalia and that Indian forces freed the boat and its 20 crew. They do not describe how the navy found the Azini or the tactics used during the operation. The location of the hijacking and the identities of the suspected pirates were also not specified.
That distinction matters: the Puntland official described 12 people as suspected pirates, while the Indian ministry reported the successful rescue. The claims about disarmament and the suspects’ release come from the local maritime police official; India’s account focused on the operation and its outcome.
The incident involved a fishing vessel linked to Iran, Indian naval forces operating in the Arabian Sea and suspected Somali pirates who later landed in Puntland. For the crew, the immediate stakes were direct: their boat had been seized, and their release followed an operation that ran for more than two days. For authorities, the arrival of the suspects and guards at Bandar Bayla adds a local dimension to a rescue carried out at sea.
The reported details leave the crew’s condition central to what happens next. India’s ministry said there were no injuries, while the Puntland official separately reported minor injuries among three people who came ashore. He did not say whether those injured were guards or suspects.
India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said the rescue was completed in the Arabian Sea, more than 3,000 kilometers from Mumbai.
