All 15 Indian crew members rescued from hijacked ship by Navy commandos
The Navy's elite Marine Commandos, or Marcos, are continuing to sanitise other areas of the ship, according to the Navy.
- Jan 5, 2024,
- Updated Jan 5, 2024 8:57 PM IST
The Indian Navy has successfully rescued all 15 Indian crew members who were held captive aboard a hijacked merchant vessel. The operation, carried out by a team of elite Navy MARCOS (Marine Commandos), has brought a sigh of relief to families and the nation as a whole.
Pirates hijacked the Liberian-flagged ship MV Lila Norfolk while it was en route from Port Du Aco (Brazil) to Khalifa Bin Salman in Bahrain. The incident occurred approximately 300 nautical miles east of Somalia.
The vessel transmitted a distress message on the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) portal, reporting the boarding by five to six unknown armed individuals on the evening of January 4, according to a statement from the Indian Navy.
Responding to the hijacking of the Liberian-flagged ship MV Lila Norfolk, the Indian Navy swiftly deployed resources to assist. The warship INS Chennai, along with a maritime patrol aircraft P-8I and a long-range Predator MQ9B drone, was redirected from its anti-piracy patrol.
INS Chennai intercepted the hijacked vessel in the North Arabian Sea at 3:15 pm. This incident is part of a series of similar events in the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea, where naval forces have shifted focus to the Red Sea to counter attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, as reported by Reuters.
A recent drone attack targeted the Liberian-flagged vessel MV Chem Pluto off India's west coast on December 23, 2023.
Meanwhile, a commercial oil tanker en route to India faced a suspected drone strike in the Southern Red Sea on the same day as the drone attack on the MV Chem Pluto. The vessel, with 25 Indian crew members, was targeted, raising concerns about the safety of Indian seafarers.
Additionally, the hijacking of the Malta-flagged vessel MV Ruen on December 14 by pirates adds to the growing challenges in the maritime domain. The Indian Navy remains vigilant, closely monitoring the security situation in the North and Central Arabian Sea, as well as the Gulf of Aden.
The Indian Navy has successfully rescued all 15 Indian crew members who were held captive aboard a hijacked merchant vessel. The operation, carried out by a team of elite Navy MARCOS (Marine Commandos), has brought a sigh of relief to families and the nation as a whole.
Pirates hijacked the Liberian-flagged ship MV Lila Norfolk while it was en route from Port Du Aco (Brazil) to Khalifa Bin Salman in Bahrain. The incident occurred approximately 300 nautical miles east of Somalia.
The vessel transmitted a distress message on the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) portal, reporting the boarding by five to six unknown armed individuals on the evening of January 4, according to a statement from the Indian Navy.
Responding to the hijacking of the Liberian-flagged ship MV Lila Norfolk, the Indian Navy swiftly deployed resources to assist. The warship INS Chennai, along with a maritime patrol aircraft P-8I and a long-range Predator MQ9B drone, was redirected from its anti-piracy patrol.
INS Chennai intercepted the hijacked vessel in the North Arabian Sea at 3:15 pm. This incident is part of a series of similar events in the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea, where naval forces have shifted focus to the Red Sea to counter attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, as reported by Reuters.
A recent drone attack targeted the Liberian-flagged vessel MV Chem Pluto off India's west coast on December 23, 2023.
Meanwhile, a commercial oil tanker en route to India faced a suspected drone strike in the Southern Red Sea on the same day as the drone attack on the MV Chem Pluto. The vessel, with 25 Indian crew members, was targeted, raising concerns about the safety of Indian seafarers.
Additionally, the hijacking of the Malta-flagged vessel MV Ruen on December 14 by pirates adds to the growing challenges in the maritime domain. The Indian Navy remains vigilant, closely monitoring the security situation in the North and Central Arabian Sea, as well as the Gulf of Aden.