Indian Navy Frees All 20 Crew of Pirated Fishing Vessel Azini in 48-Hour Operation 3,000 km From Mumbai

Hijacked off Somalia last month, the Azini was tracked, contained and retaken by the Indian Navy in a tightly coordinated joint operation

PGurus Newsdesk

November 3, 2026

The vessel had been hijacked off northeastern Somalia last month before the Navy located and contained it

Marine Commandos were airdropped by an Indian Air Force C-17 and secured the ship without any crew casualty reported

The Indian Navy has taken back a hijacked fishing vessel from heavily armed pirates, far outside India’s own waters. All 20 crew members of the Azini are safe.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced the result, saying the operation was carried out on November 2, more than 3,000 km from Mumbai in the Arabian Sea. The vessel had been hijacked by armed pirates off the northeastern coast of Somalia last month.

The Navy first sent in a warship backed by a maritime reconnaissance aircraft to find and track the vessel. Constant surveillance contained its movement and stopped it from escaping, using what the Navy called calibrated non-kinetic measures. Marine Commandos were then dropped in by precision airdrop from an Indian Air Force C-17. They moved quickly to secure the vessel, neutralise the pirate threat and release the entire crew.

“The swift localisation, interception and safe release of the crew and vessel from significantly-armed pirates, with timely support from the Indian Air Force, speak well of the Indian Navy’s high operational readiness,” Singh said in a post on X. He added that India would continue working for safe seas and a free, open and secure Indian Ocean Region.

The Navy called the outcome a testament to its preparedness and its ability to run complex maritime security operations through seamless coordination between services. The mission was also a demonstration of reach, with surface ships, air surveillance and airborne commandos working together half an ocean away from the Indian coast.

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