World · 2026-11-03 · Afternoon briefing

Indian navy frees hijacked Iranian boat off Somalia

Indian naval forces have freed an Iranian fishing boat and its 20 crew members following a 48-hour operation in the Arabian Sea. India's defence minister, Rajnath Singh, confirmed the rescue of the vessel, the Azini, was completed on Monday more than 3,000km (1,865 miles) from Mumbai. The boat had been hijacked by Somali pirates on October 29th.

The operation involved an Indian Air Force C-17 aircraft airdropping commandos onto the vessel. According to the Puntland Maritime Police Force, 12 suspected pirates were disarmed and had their mobile phones confiscated before being released. They later came ashore in Bandar Bayla, a town in northeastern Somalia, along with two Somali security guards who had been on the boat.

The hijacking is the latest in a resurgence of piracy in the region. At least six commercial vessels have been seized since April. In September, a separate operation to recover a tanker, the MT Honour 25, ended after pirates killed five of its crew members; Puntland authorities detained 16 suspects in that case.

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• Iran Praises India After Navy Destroyer INS Kolkata's Daredevil Rescue Op Saves 20 Iranian Sailors
• Indian Navy Stops Somali Pirates From Converting Hijacked Dhow Into Mothership
• 3,000 km from Mumbai, Indian Navy pulls off daring 48-hour rescue of 20 crew from hijacked Iranian vessel
• Indian navy rescues 20 crew from Iranian fishing boat hijacked off Somalia
• Indian navy rescues 20 crew from Iranian fishing boat hijacked off Somalia

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