Iran on Tuesday thanked the Indian government and armed forces for rescuing all 20 crew members of an Iranian vessel seized by Somali pirates in the Arabian Sea and said the operation reflects the spirit of solidarity and cooperation between the two countries.
The Indian Navy coordinated the operation conducted 3,000 km from Mumbai to rescue the crew of the fishing vessel Azini, which was taken over by the pirates on October 29.
There were no casualties or injuries during the operation, which defence minister Rajnath Singh described as “meticulously coordinated”.
Earlier reporting noted: The Indian Navy has rescued all 20 crew members of the pirated fishing vessel Azini in a meticulously coordinated 48-hour operation in the Arabian Sea, more than 3,000 km from Mumbai, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said.
The Iranian embassy in New Delhi expressed its “sincere gratitude” to the Indian government, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force (IAF) for the successful operation to rescue the crew of Azini. “This humanitarian operation stands as a testament to the spirit of friendship, solidarity and cooperation between Iran and India,” the embassy said in a statement. “We highly commend the professionalism, courage and effective coordination demonstrated by the Indian Armed Forces, reflecting India’s strong commitment to Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and its role in saving lives beyond borders,” the statement added. The hijacking represented a significant maritime security threat, with the possibility of Azini being used as a “mother ship” for launching further pirate attacks against merchant shipping in the region, the Indian Navy said on Tuesday. Earlier reporting noted: Congratulating the Indian Navy for the successful mission, the Defence Minister said that the operation demonstrated the force’s high operational readiness and its ability to respond decisively to maritime threats across the region. Earlier reporting noted: In a post on X, Singh said: “My congratulations to #Indian Navy for successfully executing a meticulously coordinated 48-hour operation to rescue all 20 crew members of the pirated fishing vessel, Azini, more than 3000 km from Mumbai in the Arabian Sea, on 02 Nov 26.”
Photos released by the defence ministry showed INS Kolkata, a stealth destroyer, was involved in the operation. “Working in close coordination, these platforms located the vessel after persistent surveillance, tracked its movements and employed calibrated non-kinetic measures to contain its movement and prevent its escape.
“Responding to the situation, the Indian Navy tasked a mission-deployed warship to intervene, supported by a maritime reconnaissance aircraft,” the navy said in a statement. Marine commandos involved in the operation on Monday were “augmented through a precision airdrop” by a C-17 aircraft of the IAF. the defence minister said in a social media post: “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 and ability to respond decisively to maritime threats across the region.” While lauding the armed forces.
