Indian Navy shares video showing how they secured hijacked ship in Arabian Sea

The Indian Navy successfully secured the hijacked cargo ship 'MV Lila Norfolk' near the coast of Somalia. The vessel, which had been seized by pirates on the previous Friday evening, was carrying 21 crew members, including 15 Indians. The 84,000-tonne bulk carrier sent out a distress call reporting that five or six armed individuals had boarded the ship.

Responding swiftly to the SOS, the Indian Navy deployed a warship, maritime patrol aircraft, helicopters, and Predator MQ9B drones to the location. Elite MARCOS commandos were dispatched to execute the search and rescue operation. After thoroughly sanitising the ship, they confirmed that all hijackers had left the vessel, likely deterred by the Navy's prompt and forceful intervention.

The entire episode was captured on video and shared by the Indian Navy on X, showcasing the tense moments of the operation. The crew members were safely evacuated from the ship's citadel, where they had taken refuge during the hijacking attempt.

The videos depict commandos boarding the ship and executing their operation with precision and determination.

Steve Kunzer, the chief executive of the Dubai-based company that owns the MV Lila Norfolk, expressed his gratitude to the Indian Navy for their timely rescue and commended the professionalism of the crew for their safe and responsible reaction under duress.

"We also want to thank the professionalism of our crew who reacted safely and responsibly under the circumstances," he said in a statement.

This incident comes amid heightened concerns over maritime security in the region, with Houthi militants intensifying attacks on merchant vessels in the Red Sea amidst the Israel-Hamas conflict. 

Prior to this event, there had been other concerning incidents, such as the drone attack on the Liberian-flagged vessel MV Chem Pluto, which had 21 Indian crew members on board, and another commercial oil tanker en route to India that suffered a suspected drone strike in the Southern Red Sea.

In another incident, pirates abducted the Malta-flagged vessel MV Ruen on December 14.

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