Indian Navy Executes Daring 48-Hour Rescue, Frees 20 Crew Members from Hijacked Iranian Ship

The Indian Navy has rescued 20 Iranian crew members from the fishing vessel Azini after it was hijacked by armed pirates off the coast of Somalia. The 48-hour operation was carried out in the Arabian Sea, more than 3,000 kilometres from Mumbai, with support from the Indian Air Force.Defence Minister Rajnath Singh praised the coordinated operation, while the Iranian Embassy in New Delhi thanked the Indian government and the armed forces for safely rescuing the crew.The hijacked vessel had also raised concerns after the Maritime Security Centre–Indian Ocean warned that pirates could use it as a 'mothership' to target commercial ships.The rescue adds to the Indian Navy's anti-piracy operations, including the March 2024 rescue of 17 crew members from the hijacked merchant vessel MV Ruen and the capture of 35 Somali pirates.