Indian Navy Frees 20 Crew in 48-Hour Anti-Piracy Operation

The Indian Navy rescued all 20 crew members of the Iranian fishing vessel Azini after a more than 48-hour operation to retake the ship from Somali pirates, concluding without casualties on 2 Nov 2026. The vessel had been hijacked on 29 Oct 2026 by 12 armed pirates off Somalia's northeastern coast, between Bandar Bayla and Hafun, raising fears it could be converted into a pirate "mothership" for further attacks. The operation, carried out more than 3,000 kilometres from Mumbai, involved an Indian Navy warship, maritime surveillance aircraft, Marine Commandos and the Indian Air Force. A warship and reconnaissance aircraft tracked the pirates and restricted the vessel's movement using non-kinetic measures before Marine Commandos were airdropped from an IAF C-17 transport aircraft to retake control, neutralise the pirates and free the crew. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh commended the Navy and Air Force for their coordination and operational readiness, describing the mission as a demonstration of India's resolve to secure the Indian Ocean Region. The incident reflects a wider resurgence of piracy in the Gulf of Aden and western Indian Ocean. Pirates seized six commercial vessels between April and August 2026, including the tanker Sibu 1 off Yemen. In September, pirates reportedly killed five crew aboard the tanker MT Honour 25, held since April, before Puntland security forces recovered the vessel and detained 16 suspects.