Indian Navy Rescues All 20 Crew From Hijacked Vessel Azini Off Somalia

The Indian Navy completed a 48-hour operation on November 2, 2026, that liberated the fishing vessel Azini from armed pirates and rescued all 20 crew members with no casualties. The vessel was located more than 3,000 kilometres from Mumbai in the Arabian Sea, off the north-eastern coast of Somalia.

Azini had been seized by an armed pirate group earlier last month. Shipping authorities had raised concerns that the vessel could be turned into a mother ship for further attacks on merchant traffic in the region. The Navy deployed a mission-ready warship supported by a maritime reconnaissance aircraft. The platforms located the vessel through persistent surveillance, tracked its movements and used calibrated non-kinetic measures to contain it and prevent escape.

Marine Commandos were then parachuted into the area in a precision airdrop executed by an Indian Air Force C-17 transport aircraft. The commandos stormed and secured the vessel, neutralised the pirate threat and freed the 20-man crew. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the Navy, noting the swift localisation, interception and safe release of the crew and vessel, with timely support from the Indian Air Force.

Singh said the operation demonstrated the Navy’s high operational readiness and its ability to respond decisively to maritime threats across the Indian Ocean Region. He reiterated India’s commitment to safe seas and a free, open and secure Indian Ocean. The Ministry of Defence stated that the successful operation reflected seamless inter-service coordination and the Navy’s preparedness for complex maritime security tasks.

The Navy has conducted similar anti-piracy operations in the western Indian Ocean in recent years as piracy incidents near Somalia have fluctuated. The Azini rescue involved both surface and air assets and ended without injuries to the crew or the boarding party. Officials have not yet released details on the number of pirates detained or the exact weapons recovered, though photographs from the scene showed seized firearms and equipment on the vessel’s deck.

The operation concluded on Monday, and the Navy issued its statement on Tuesday. The vessel and crew are now secure. The episode underscores the continuing requirement for naval presence in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden corridor to protect commercial shipping.