Indian Navy Rescues Hijacked Iranian Vessel in Arabian Sea Operation

Indian naval forces have freed a hijacked Iranian fishing boat and rescued its 20 crew members following a multi-day military intervention in the Arabian Sea, according to India’s Defense Ministry.

The operation to secure the vessel, named the Azini, wrapped up on Monday at a location more than 3,000 kilometers (1,865 miles) from Mumbai. Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh confirmed the completion of the mission, which lasted over 48 hours and drew on combined air and sea capabilities.

High-Seas Interception

Military forces tracked the hijacked vessel by air and sea after concerns arose that armed pirates intended to use it as a mothership to target commercial shipping lanes. The operation deployed a naval warship, maritime surveillance aircraft, and marine commandos. An Indian Air Force C-17 transport aircraft also airdropped additional commando units directly into the theater of operations.

The vessel had been seized on Oct. 29 in waters between Bandar Bayla and Hafun off northeastern Somalia. While India’s Defense Ministry reported 20 crew members rescued, a Puntland maritime police officer noted on Sunday that the vessel held 21 Iranian crew members and two Somali security guards. Officials haven’t reconciled the difference in figures.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, an official with the Puntland Maritime Police Force told The Associated Press that Indian forces disarmed 12 suspected Somali pirates and confiscated their mobile phones before releasing them. The 12 suspects and two Somali guards later arrived on shore at Bandar Bayla. Three individuals in that landing party suffered minor injuries, though the official didn’t clarify their identities or how they were hurt. Regional authorities in Puntland were only notified of the naval rescue after it concluded.

India’s Defense Ministry reported that the operation resulted in no casualties or injuries, though it didn’t clarify if that assessment applied strictly to the rescued crew or everyone present on the ship. It remains unclear whether the crew stayed aboard the Azini or were transferred to another vessel.

Rising Maritime Threats

The seizure of the Azini comes amid a sharp resurgence of piracy across the western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden. Between April and August, armed groups hijacked six commercial ships, frequently pushing deep into international waters. Among those targeted was the oil products tanker Sibu 1, taken approximately 252 kilometers (136 nautical miles) east of al-Mukalla, Yemen.

Fatalities have accompanied the recent surge. In September, authorities in Puntland reported that pirates killed five crew members aboard the MT Honour 25 tanker before security personnel retook the ship, which had been held since April. Regional forces detained 16 suspected pirates following that intervention.

Renewed pirate activity adds further pressure to regional sea lanes already stressed by regional conflicts. Transport routes face severe friction from threats by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels near the Bab el-Mandeb strait and broader risks in the Strait of Hormuz. Consequently, some commercial oil shipments are rerouting around the African continent, adding up to a month of transit time and inflating global tanker rates.

Although sustained international naval patrols significantly curtailed piracy over the past decade, recent high-seas seizures have forced regional navies back on high alert across the western Indian Ocean.