New Delhi: In a dramatic 48-hour operation, the Indian Navy successfully liberated the fishing vessel, Azini, from armed pirates who had hijacked it last month. All 20 crew members were safely rescued with no casualties or injuries Monday evening.
The Indian Navy said that Azini was hijacked by an armed pirate group earlier last month, off the northeastern coast of Somalia. The hijacking represented a significant maritime security threat, with the possibility of the vessel being employed as a ‘mother ship’ for launching further pirate attacks against merchant shipping in the region.
Responding to the situation, the Indian Navy tasked the INS Kolkata to intervene, supported by a maritime reconnaissance aircraft P8I and the Sea Guardian drone.
Working in close coordination, these platforms located the vessel after persistent surveillance, tracked its movements and employed calibrated non-kinetic measures to contain its movement and prevent its escape. Marine Commandos, known as Marcos, were deployed through a precision airdrop by an Indian Air Force (IAF) C-17 aircraft.
The commandos carried out a tactical operation and secured the vessel.
The successful operation is testament to the Indian Navy’s high operational preparedness and ability to undertake complex maritime security operations through seamless inter-service coordination, the Navy said in a statement. It added that the operation underscores India’s unwavering commitment to remaining First Responder and Preferred Security Partner in the Indian Ocean Region.
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