Indian Navy Frees Iranian Fishing Crew from Somali Pirates

Indian naval forces recovered an Iranian fishing vessel and its 20 crew members from Somali pirates on Monday, according to a statement from India's Defense Ministry.

The hijacking of the Azini began on Oct. 29 between the ports of Bandar Bayla and Hafun. A Puntland maritime police officer said on Sunday that the boat carried 21 Iranian crew members and two Somali security guards. The difference between that count and the 20 rescued by India could not immediately be explained.

The rescue operation lasted more than 48 hours and concluded in the Arabian Sea. That location was more than 3,000 kilometers, or 1,865 miles, from Mumbai, Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said.

Indian forces used a warship, a maritime surveillance aircraft, and marine commandos for the mission. An Indian Air Force C-17 aircraft dropped additional commandos onto the scene, the ministry said. Officials tracked the vessel by sea and air before securing it.

An official with the Puntland Maritime Police Force told The Associated Press that Indian forces disarmed 12 suspected Somali pirates. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the suspects had their mobile phones confiscated and were released. The suspects and the two security guards later came ashore at Bandar Bayla in northeastern Somalia.

Three people who came ashore had minor injuries, the official said. He did not specify whether the injured were suspects or guards, or how they were hurt. India's ministry said the operation ended without casualties or injuries. It did not clarify if that account covered everyone aboard or only the rescued crew. It was unclear whether the crew remained on the vessel or moved elsewhere.

The hijacking occurred as Somali piracy has resurged across the Gulf of Aden and western Indian Ocean. By August, pirates had hijacked six commercial vessels since April. That group included the oil products tanker Sibu 1, seized about 252 kilometers, or 136 nautical miles, east of al-Mukalla, Yemen. In September, Puntland authorities said pirates killed five crew members of the tanker MT Honour 25 before security forces recovered it. That vessel had been held since April, and authorities detained 16 suspected pirates.