The Indian Navy said its commandos rescued all crew members from a Liberian-flagged merchant ship following its attempted hijacking in the Arabian Sea and found no pirates on board.
The subcontinent’s navy on Friday said 21 crew members, including 15 Indians, were rescued from the MV Lila Norfolk after they detained the vessel.
The navy said its forces were carrying out “sanitization” operations on the ship, less than a day after receiving a distress call from its position off the coast of Somalia in the North Arabian Sea.
The ship posted a message to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations portal saying that five to six unidentified armed personnel had boarded on Thursday evening, an Indian Navy statement said.
“The hijacking attempt was likely abandoned with a strong warning from the Indian Navy, a maritime patrol aircraft, against interception by an Indian Navy warship,” the navy added.
The Navy said the same day that the warship INS Chennai was diverted and deployed to support the vessel, adding that a naval aircraft flew over the hijacked ship on Friday and made contact.
The Navy said it “remains committed to ensuring [the] security of merchant shipping in the region together with international partners and friendly foreign countries”.
The Indian Navy has increased its surveillance of the Arabian Sea following a recent spate of attacks in the region.
At least three hijackings occurred in December, according to data from the Indian Navy’s Intelligence Fusion Center – Indian Ocean Region. The last similar incident was reported in 2017.
Close monitoring of the situation
The ship left the Brazilian port of Bandar de Aco and was supposed to reach Bahrain’s Khalifa bin Salman when it was hijacked 300 nautical miles east of Somalia.
The Navy said it was working closely with other agencies and the Multi-National Force (MNF) in the area to monitor the situation.
In the release, he reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring the safety of merchant shipping in the region together with international partners and friendly foreign countries.
Increased maritime surveillance
As the situation in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea worsens and the safety of ships is at risk, the Indian Navy has stepped up its efforts to monitor maritime traffic.
India bore the brunt of the precarious situation when the Indian-bound MV Ruen was hijacked by Somali pirates in the Central Arabian Sea.
Earlier, MV Chem Pluto with 20 Indians on board and MV Saibaba with 25 Indian crew members were attacked by drones in the Arabian and Red seas.
India has strengthened aerial surveillance in the region with long-range maritime patrol aircraft and remotely piloted aircraft (RPA).
In addition, task forces consisting of destroyers and frigates have been deployed to conduct maritime security operations and assist merchant vessels in the event of an incident.
Shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has been severely affected as Yemen-based Houthi rebels have attacked merchant ships passing through in retaliation for Israel’s bombing of Gaza.
However, India is yet to join Operation Prosperity Guardian, an international mission launched by the United States to strengthen patrols in the Red Sea and address the deteriorating situation, in any capacity.
