India frees 20 crew from Iranian fishing boat seized off Somalia

The security environment in the Arabian Sea has grown more volatile as shipping routes face new threats from the ongoing conflict in the region. Indian naval forces completed a rescue operation on Monday, freeing an Iranian fishing boat and its crew of 20 that had been hijacked off the coast of Somalia.

India's Defense Ministry announced the success of the mission on Tuesday. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh stated that the vessel, named the Azini, was recovered more than 3,000 kilometers from Mumbai. The operation required coordination between a warship, a maritime surveillance aircraft, and marine commandos. An Indian Air Force C-17 aircraft also airdropped additional commandos to assist in the recovery.

The timeline of the incident began on October 29, when the boat was seized between Bandar Bayla and Hafun. A Puntland Maritime Police Force official told The Associated Press that Indian forces disarmed 12 suspected Somali pirates during the rescue. The pirates and two Somali security guards were later released and brought ashore at Bandar Bayla in northeastern Somalia. Three of the individuals had minor injuries, though the official did not specify which group the injured belonged to.

The Indian ministry reported that the operation ended without casualties or injuries among the rescued crew. However, the ministry did not clarify if this assessment included the pirates or the security guards. It was also unclear from the announcement whether the crew remained on the vessel or were transported to a different location after the rescue.

There is a discrepancy in the reported numbers regarding the people on board. A Puntland maritime police officer said on Sunday that the vessel carried 21 Iranian crew members and two Somali security guards. India's official count lists 20 crew members. No immediate explanation was provided for the difference of one person.

Regional authorities in Puntland learned of the rescue only after Indian forces had already secured the boat. The incident is part of a wider resurgence in Somali piracy. Since April, pirates have hijacked six commercial vessels in the Gulf of Aden and western Indian Ocean. In September, security forces recovered the tanker MT Honour 25 after pirates killed five crew members who had been held captive since April. Authorities detained 16 suspected pirates in that separate incident.

The increased pirate activity adds to existing risks in a region already strained by the Iran war. Attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and threats from Yemen's Houthi rebels have disrupted oil transport routes. These disruptions have forced some shipments to divert around Africa, extending voyage times by up to a month and raising the cost of tanker services.