Edited by Deepali Verma
Just as Indian naval warship INS Chennai reached the hijacked vessel MV Lila Norfolk off Somalia coast, Indian Navy’s Marine Commandos (Marcos) present onboard the mission deployed warship boarded the MV. They started the sanitisation operations immediately and rescued all the Bharatiya citizens onboard the vessel, the Indian Navy said.
“All the crew along with 15 Indians, onboard the hijacked vessel MV Lila Norfolk are secured and are safe. Indian Navy Marine Commandos have engaged in sanitisation operations in other parts of the vessel,” they said.
Before the Indian warship embarked on the hijacked vessel, it had launched its helicopter and issued warnings to the Somali pirates to abandon the merchant ship.
“Indian Navy’s elite Marine Commandos from the warship INS Chennai have reached the hijacked vessel MV Lila Norfolk and are now going to move ahead with the sanitisation operations there,” military officers said.
The Somalian pirates had hijacked the merchant vessel some 300 nautical miles east of Somalia. The ship was coming from Port Du Aco (Brazil) to Khalifa Bin Salman in Bahrain.
The bulk-carrier MV Lila Norfolk notified on the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) portal indicating that five to six unknown armed personnel boarded the vessel on the evening of January 4, the Indian Navy said. The UKMTO is a British military organisation responsible for tracking the movements of various vessels in strategic waterways.
INS Chennai was diverted from her anti-piracy patrol once the information was out last evening about the hijacked Liberian-flagged vessel with 15 Bharatiya crew on board. “In a swift response to the developing situation, the Indian Navy launched a maritime patrol aircraft and diverted INS Chennai deployed for maritime security operations to assist the vessel,” a statement said. “The aircraft overflew the vessel early morning on January 5 and established contact with the vessel, ascertaining the safety of the crew,” it said.
It intercepted the MV at 15:15 hrs on January 5.Meanwhile, the MV was kept under continuous surveillance using Maritime Patrol Aircraft, Predator MQ9B and integral helos.
The hijacking comes at a time where there are rising concerns over Houthi militants stepping up attacks on merchant vessels in the Red Sea amid the Israel-Hamas conflict. The fresh incident further adds to a series of such maritime incidents witnessed in the strategic waters in the last few weeks. Liberian-flagged vessel MV Chem Pluto, with 21 Bharatiya crew members, was targeted by a drone attack off Bharat’s west coast on December 23.
Besides MV Chem Pluto, there was a commercial oil tanker that was on the way to Bharat that came under a suspected drone strike in the Southern Red Sea on the same day. The vessel had a team of 25 Bharatiya crew.
The Indian Navy on January 3 said it has continued to monitor the maritime security situation in the North and Central Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden. “Indian Naval ships and aircraft are on missions to promote enhanced surveillance and undertake maritime security operations,” it said.
Response from the rescuers:
Watch: https://x.com/IndiannavyMedia/status/1743539009073115148?s=20
“In the week gone by, the Indian Naval Task Groups in the deployment area have investigated a considerable number of fishing vessels and boarded the vessels of interest,” it added. The task groups comprised warships, surveillance planes and remotely-piloted aircraft.
In a video released by the Indian Navy, the rescued Indians are chanting “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”, while expressing their gratitude to the Navy for safely rescuing them from the hijacked vessel.
One of the sailors, who were rescued by the Navy, was informed of how they were stuck for 24 hours and they got relief after the Navy rescued them.
“Proud of the Indian Navy”, said another sailor, onboard on the hijacked vessel.
