Officials confirmed the safe rescue of all 21 crew members, including 15 Indians, from the cargo ship 'MV Lila Norfolk' that faced a hijacking near the coast of Somalia.
Following the hijacking incident involving 'MV Lila Norfolk,' the Indian Navy swiftly deployed a comprehensive response, including a warship, maritime patrol aircraft, helicopters, P-8I, and Predator MQ9B drones to address the situation in the Arabian Sea.
The rescue operation was executed by elite commandos, MARCOS, who successfully secured the cargo ship and evacuated the 15 Indian crew members. The Navy, in an official statement, confirmed the absence of hijackers aboard the vessel post the commando operation.
Indian Navy's spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal stated, "All 21 crew members, including the 15 Indians on board, were safely evacuated from the vessel."
"The MARCOS commandos' sanitization confirmed the absence of hijackers. The attempted hijacking by the pirates was seemingly abandoned after a forceful warning by the Indian Navy's maritime patrol aircraft regarding interception by the naval warship," added the spokesperson.
The initial hijacking report surfaced through the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which tracks the movements of vessels in strategic waterways.
Responding to the distress, the naval warship INS Chennai, diverted from anti-piracy patrol, dispatched its helicopter, and issued warnings to the pirates, urging them to abandon the hijacked vessel.
This incident transpires amid heightened security measures deployed by the Indian Navy in recent times, with multiple warships positioned at sea to ensure a deterrent presence, particularly following a series of shipping attacks. These included a drone attack blamed on Iran by the United States that targeted the MV Chem Pluto tanker 200 nautical miles off the Indian coast last month.
The context of increased maritime threats remains significant as vessels in the Red Sea have been rerouted due to Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels carrying out drone and missile strikes in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza amid the conflict with Hamas.
This successful rescue operation by the Indian Navy marks a critical instance in their ongoing efforts to ensure maritime security and combat piracy threats in the region.