The Government of India has announced a military operation to rescue a ship

Nov 04 (Jowhar)- The Government of India has announced that a military operation lasting 48 hours has rescued the fishing vessel Azini, which was seized by a group of Somali pirates off the northeastern coast of Somalia.

The Indian Defense Minister, Rajnath Singh, confirmed in a post on his X platform that the Indian Navy successfully took control of the vessel and released 20 crew members on board.

Rajnath Singh stated that the operation, which took place on November 2, 2026, was highly planned and received support from the Indian Air Force. He praised the capability of his country's navy to respond to security threats in the Indian Ocean.

The Azini, owned by Iran, was hijacked on October 29 while it was navigating the waters between the areas of Bandar Bayla and Hafun on the northeastern coast of Somalia. According to reports, 12 pirates took over the vessel at that time, which had 21 Iranian crew members and two Somali guards on board.

Reports indicate that the vessel was freed from armed pirates, who intended to use it as a base to attack commercial ships traversing the vital shipping lanes of the Indian Ocean.

The operation took place more than 3,000 kilometers from the city of Mumbai, utilizing a warship and air support.

This incident has once again raised concerns about the resurgence of Somali piracy, following an increase in hijackings of vessels in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden in recent months.