Indian Navy Rescues All 20 Crew of Hijacked Fishing Vessel Azini from Pirates in 48-Hour Arabian Sea Operation

Key facts

• The Indian Navy liberated the hijacked fishing vessel Azini from armed pirates in a 48-hour operation, rescuing all 20 crew members with no casualties or injuries; the operation was completed on November 2, 2026, more than 3,000 km from Mumbai in the Arabian Sea.
• Fishing Vessel Azini had been hijacked by an armed pirate group off the north-eastern coast of Somalia earlier last month, raising fears it could be used as a 'mother ship' for further pirate attacks on merchant shipping.
• A mission-deployed Indian Navy warship and a maritime reconnaissance aircraft located and tracked the vessel, using calibrated non-kinetic measures to contain its movement and prevent escape.
• Marine Commandos were augmented through a precision airdrop by an Indian Air Force (IAF) C-17 aircraft, after which Navy personnel secured the vessel, neutralised the pirate threat and released the crew safely.