20 crew freed after Indian navy retakes hijacked boat

Twenty crew members from an Iranian fishing vessel are back in their own hands after Indian naval forces retaken the ship from pirates. The Indian Defense Ministry confirmed the rescue was completed on Monday. The vessel, named the Azini, was recovered in the Arabian Sea, a location more than 1,865 miles from Mumbai.

The ship was seized on Oct. 29 while traveling between Bandar Bayla and Hafun in northeastern Somalia. Local maritime police initially reported that 21 Iranian crew members and two Somali security guards were aboard. The Indian ministry stated the rescue operation freed 20 people. Officials have not yet explained the difference in the headcount.

The military operation lasted more than 48 hours. It involved an Indian warship, a maritime surveillance aircraft, and marine commandos. An Indian Air Force C-17 aircraft dropped additional commandos onto the scene to assist in securing the vessel. Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh announced the successful completion of the mission on Tuesday.

A Puntland Maritime Police Force official told The Associated Press that Indian forces disarmed 12 suspected Somali pirates. The officials confiscated the suspects' mobile phones and released them. The suspects and two Somali security guards later reached land at Bandar Bayla. Three individuals who came ashore had minor injuries, though the official did not specify which group they belonged to.

The Indian ministry stated that the operation ended without any casualties or injuries. It did not clarify if this count included only the rescued crew or everyone involved in the operation. It was also unclear if the crew remained on the boat or were transferred to another location. Regional authorities learned of the rescue only after it was finished.

The hijacking occurred during a recent increase in Somali piracy. Since April, pirates have seized six commercial vessels in the Gulf of Aden and western Indian Ocean. One of these was the oil products tanker Sibu 1, taken near Yemen. In September, authorities recovered the tanker MT Honour 25 after pirates killed five of its crew members.

Shipping risks in the region have risen due to the ongoing Iran war. Attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and threats against Saudi-linked shipping have forced some oil shipments to take longer routes around Africa. These detours can add up to a month to a voyage and have increased costs for tankers. International naval patrols have kept piracy low for the past decade, but the recent incidents have renewed concerns.