Iran Thanks India After Navy Rescues 20 Crew From Somali Pirates
Iran praised an Indian Navy and Air Force operation that freed all 20 crew members of the hijacked fishing vessel Azini without reported injuries.
Iran thanked India on Tuesday after Indian forces rescued all 20 crew members of the Iranian fishing vessel Azini from Somali pirates in the Arabian Sea. The Indian Navy said no one was killed or injured in the operation.
The rescue concluded Monday, November 2, following a 48-hour operation more than 3,000 kilometers from Mumbai, according to CNBC-TV18. Azini had been seized October 29 off northeastern Somalia, between Bandar Bayla and Hafun, the Hindustan Times reported.
India deployed INS Kolkata with support from a maritime reconnaissance aircraft to locate and track the vessel. The Navy said it used non-kinetic measures to contain Azini's movement and prevent it from escaping.
Marine commandos were reinforced through a precision airdrop from an Indian Air Force C-17 aircraft. Indian forces then secured the vessel and freed the crew, according to the Navy's account reported by both outlets.
The Iranian embassy in New Delhi expressed gratitude to India's government, Navy and Air Force. It praised their professionalism and coordination and called the rescue a sign of friendship and cooperation between the countries.
Indian authorities said the hijacked fishing vessel could have been used as a mothership for further attacks on merchant shipping. The operation comes amid renewed concern about piracy off Somalia and in parts of the western Indian Ocean.