Indian Navy Rescues 20 Crew from Hijacked Fishing Vessel Off Somalia

The Indian Navy completed a 48-hour operation on November 2, 2026, that freed the Iranian fishing vessel Azini and its 20 crew members from armed pirates off the northeastern coast of Somalia. No casualties or injuries were reported among the crew.

The vessel had been seized earlier in late October between Bandar Bayla and Hafun. Pirates intended to use it as a mother ship for further attacks on merchant shipping in the Gulf of Aden and western Indian Ocean. The Navy tasked the destroyer INS Kolkata, supported by a maritime reconnaissance aircraft, to locate and contain the vessel. Persistent surveillance allowed the warship to track Azini and employ non-kinetic measures to prevent its escape.

Marine Commandos were then inserted by precision airdrop from an Indian Air Force C-17 Globemaster III. The commandos boarded the vessel, secured it, and neutralized the pirate threat. All 20 crew members, mostly Iranian nationals, were safely released. A Puntland maritime police official said Indian forces disarmed approximately 12 suspected pirates, confiscated their phones, and released them.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the Navy and the Air Force for the coordinated action, which took place more than 3,000 km from Mumbai. The operation demonstrated the Navy's ability to project force across the Indian Ocean Region. It followed earlier anti-piracy missions, including the 2024 interception of MV Ruen by the same ship.

The Iranian Embassy in New Delhi thanked the Indian government, Navy, and Air Force for the rescue. The successful recovery of Azini reduced the immediate risk of additional pirate attacks on commercial traffic in the region. Shipping lanes through the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden carry a large share of global trade, and mother-ship tactics have historically allowed small pirate groups to extend their reach.

Indian Navy statements emphasized the use of calibrated force and inter-service coordination. The Air Force's C-17 provided the long-range insertion capability that allowed commandos to reach the vessel quickly once it was localized. Surveillance aircraft maintained continuous coverage during the containment phase.

Piracy incidents off Somalia had declined sharply after the peak years of 2008-2012 but have shown signs of resurgence in 2026. The Azini hijacking was one of several reported in recent months. The Navy's rapid response reinforced India's role as a preferred security partner for merchant shipping in the western Indian Ocean.

Crew members were reported safe after the boarding. Officials did not immediately disclose whether the vessel would be escorted to a port or allowed to continue under its own power once the pirates were removed. The operation concluded without shots fired at the crew and without damage to the fishing boat that prevented its further use.