Hijacking on High Seas: 21 crew members, including 15 Indians safely evacuated
New Delhi: In a daring operation, the Indian Navy's elite special operation force, MARCOS, successfully boarded the hijacked Liberian-flagged commercial bulk carrier MV Lila Norfolk in the North Arabian Sea.
The hijackers, believed to be pirates, had attempted to take control of the vessel but abandoned their efforts following a forceful warning by the Indian Navy. The operation involved the safe evacuation of the crew, including 15 Indians and 6 Filipinos, who were hiding in the ship's safe house (citadel). The MARCOS commandos confirmed the absence of hijackers on the vessel during the sanitation operation.
“If the pirates were able to take the crew hostage, Indian Navy would have needed the permission of the ship owning company and the country from which the ship is before launching any operation on the ship," sources said. "Citadel can be anywhere in the ship and it is not easy for unknown men to locate it," they added.
The incident was reported on Thursday by the UK Maritime Trade Operations, indicating that the ship had been boarded by unknown armed personnel. Responding swiftly, the Indian Navy launched a Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) and diverted the destroyer INS Chennai to assist the hijacked vessel. Continuous surveillance was maintained using Maritime Patrol Aircraft, US drone Predator MQ9B, and integral helicopters. INS Chennai intercepted the merchant vessel, rendering support to restore power generation and propulsion for its journey to the next port of call.
The hijacking occurred amid rising concerns over Houthi militants increasing attacks on merchant vessels in the Red Sea during the Israel-Hamas conflict. The cargo vessel, owned by Lila Global, and its crew were successfully rescued by the Indian Navy, with the CEO of Lila Global expressing gratitude to the agencies involved in the rescue.
"The vessel and crew are all safe. We want to thank the Agencies that assisted in their rescue, in particular the Indian Navy, Capt Rohit Bajpai, Director IFC-IOR and the officials of DG Shipping," he said in a statement. "We also want to thank the professionalism of our crew who reacted safely and responsibly under the
circumstances," he added.
This operation follows the recent interception of the Malta-flagged commercial vessel MV Ruen by the Indian Navy in the Arabian Sea. The Indian Navy has heightened maritime surveillance efforts in the Central and North Arabian Sea, reinforcing force levels in response to evolving maritime incidents closer to the Indian exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
