Indian Navy Rescues 20 Crew Members From Hijacked Iranian Vessel off Somalia
Airborne commandos recapture fishing boat seized by pirates as attacks off the Somali coast rise to their highest level since 2013
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Indian naval commandos rescued 20 crew members from a hijacked Iranian fishing vessel off the coast of Somalia after parachuting onto the ship and overpowering armed pirates, the Indian Navy said Tuesday, amid a resurgence of piracy threatening maritime security in the western Indian Ocean.
The vessel, identified as Azini, was seized on October 29 off the Somali coast, between the coastal towns of Bandar Beyla and Xaafun in Puntland, according to an alert issued by the European Union's Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean (MSCIO).
The Indian Navy said it deployed a warship and a maritime reconnaissance aircraft to track the vessel before sending marine commandos by parachute to conduct the rescue operation.
"The Indian Navy secured the vessel, overcame the pirate threat and ensured safe release of all 20 crew members," the navy said in a statement.
Indian officials said the vessel was feared to be used as a "mother ship" to support further pirate attacks against commercial shipping, potentially allowing armed groups to operate farther from the Somali coastline.
The operation comes as Somali piracy has regained momentum after more than a decade of relative decline. At least 15 attacks have been reported since April, marking the highest level of activity since 2013, according to maritime security reporting.
The Azini was the third Iranian fishing vessel hijacked off Somalia since July.
Pirate groups have increasingly relied on hijacked vessels as floating bases, or "mother ships," enabling them to carry supplies, deploy smaller attack boats and target commercial vessels farther from the coast.
The renewed activity has raised concerns over the security of international shipping routes connecting the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.
Somali piracy reached its peak between 2005 and 2012, when armed groups carried out hundreds of attacks and hijackings, frequently holding ships and their crews for ransom.
International naval patrols and improved maritime security measures subsequently brought a sharp decline in attacks, although recent incidents have exposed continuing vulnerabilities along Somalia's extensive coastline.
The latest rescue highlights the role of international naval forces in containing the renewed threat, particularly as maritime insecurity in the wider region places additional pressure on commercial shipping and vital global trade routes.