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Indian Navy thwarts hijack attempt, rescues 21 crew members, including 15 Indians | India News
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NEW DELHI: Striking a major blow at the very heart of piracy emanating from the Gulf of Aden, Indian warship INS Chennai and its marine commandos thwarted the attempted hijack of a Liberia-flagged merchant vessel and safely rescued its 21 crew members, including 15 Indians, in north Arabian Sea on Friday evening.
The Navy said the five to six armed pirates, who had boarded MV Lila Norfolk around 460 nautical miles east of Eyl in Somalia on Thursday evening,“probably abandoned” the merchant vessel after the “forceful warning” issued by Indian P-8I patrol aircraft through open channels as well as the “interception” by the 7,500-tonne guide missile destroyer INS Chennai.
“Sanitization operations on the merchant vessel, deck by deck, by the marine commandos (Marcos) confirmed the absence of the hijackers. The 21 crew members (including six from the Philippines) were safely evacuated from the vessel’s citadel by the Marcos,” Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said.
Pirates who do not have a ship’s crew under their direct control as hostages usually flee on skiffs to their “mother boat” on being confronted by a warship. Late on Friday night, INS Chennai was helping restore the power generation and propulsion of MV Lila Norfolk to ensure she could commence her voyage to her next port of call.
The dramatic action on the high seas began on Thursday evening when the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a Royal Navy channel that serves as a conduit between military ships and merchant vessels in strategic waterways, sent out an alert that “five to six unknown armed personnel” had boarded MV Lila Norfolk.
Responding swiftly, the Indian Navy launched P-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft from Goa to track the hijacked vessel. INS Chennai, one of the five Indian frontline warships deployed in the region stretching from the north and central Arabian Sea to the Gulf of Aden, was also diverted to assist the hijacked vessel.
A P-8I aircraft overflew the vessel in the early hours of Friday and established contact with the crew members, who had fortunately managed to take refuge in their vessel’s citadel or safe-house built for such purposes.
Then, at around 3.15 pm, INS Chennai intercepted the merchant vessel, which was kept under constant surveillance using P-8I aircraft, MQ-9B Predator drones and helicopters on board the warship. “A warning was issued to the pirates to abandon the vessel,” another officer said.
After aerial surveillance found that there was no armed hijacker on the upper deck and superstructure of the vessel, a team of Marcos with sophisticated weapons were launched from the destroyer on rigid-hull inflatable boats. “The whole operation from the interception of the vessel to the completion of the sanitization took around two hours,” the officer said.
India has been regularly deploying warships on anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden since October 2008. “Around 110 Indian warships have been deployed for such patrols till now. Concerted action and surveillance by the Navy and Coast Guard had curbed the spread of piracy in the East Arabian Sea around a decade ago,” the officer said.
India has now cranked up “mission-based deployments” in the vast region stretching from the north and central Arabian Sea to the Gulf of Aden after the recent spurt in piracy and drone attacks on merchant vessels transiting through international shipping lanes.
The US has also announced a 10-country “multinational security initiative”, including the UK, Canada, France, Italy and Bahrain, to protect merchant vessels and trade in the Red Sea after attacks by Houthi rebels of Yemen.Watch MARCOS rescues crew on hijacked vessel, Indian Navy launches anti-piracy operations in Arabian Sea
The Navy said the five to six armed pirates, who had boarded MV Lila Norfolk around 460 nautical miles east of Eyl in Somalia on Thursday evening,“probably abandoned” the merchant vessel after the “forceful warning” issued by Indian P-8I patrol aircraft through open channels as well as the “interception” by the 7,500-tonne guide missile destroyer INS Chennai.
“Sanitization operations on the merchant vessel, deck by deck, by the marine commandos (Marcos) confirmed the absence of the hijackers. The 21 crew members (including six from the Philippines) were safely evacuated from the vessel’s citadel by the Marcos,” Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said.
Pirates who do not have a ship’s crew under their direct control as hostages usually flee on skiffs to their “mother boat” on being confronted by a warship. Late on Friday night, INS Chennai was helping restore the power generation and propulsion of MV Lila Norfolk to ensure she could commence her voyage to her next port of call.
The dramatic action on the high seas began on Thursday evening when the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a Royal Navy channel that serves as a conduit between military ships and merchant vessels in strategic waterways, sent out an alert that “five to six unknown armed personnel” had boarded MV Lila Norfolk.
Responding swiftly, the Indian Navy launched P-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft from Goa to track the hijacked vessel. INS Chennai, one of the five Indian frontline warships deployed in the region stretching from the north and central Arabian Sea to the Gulf of Aden, was also diverted to assist the hijacked vessel.
A P-8I aircraft overflew the vessel in the early hours of Friday and established contact with the crew members, who had fortunately managed to take refuge in their vessel’s citadel or safe-house built for such purposes.
Then, at around 3.15 pm, INS Chennai intercepted the merchant vessel, which was kept under constant surveillance using P-8I aircraft, MQ-9B Predator drones and helicopters on board the warship. “A warning was issued to the pirates to abandon the vessel,” another officer said.
After aerial surveillance found that there was no armed hijacker on the upper deck and superstructure of the vessel, a team of Marcos with sophisticated weapons were launched from the destroyer on rigid-hull inflatable boats. “The whole operation from the interception of the vessel to the completion of the sanitization took around two hours,” the officer said.
India has been regularly deploying warships on anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden since October 2008. “Around 110 Indian warships have been deployed for such patrols till now. Concerted action and surveillance by the Navy and Coast Guard had curbed the spread of piracy in the East Arabian Sea around a decade ago,” the officer said.
India has now cranked up “mission-based deployments” in the vast region stretching from the north and central Arabian Sea to the Gulf of Aden after the recent spurt in piracy and drone attacks on merchant vessels transiting through international shipping lanes.
The US has also announced a 10-country “multinational security initiative”, including the UK, Canada, France, Italy and Bahrain, to protect merchant vessels and trade in the Red Sea after attacks by Houthi rebels of Yemen.Watch MARCOS rescues crew on hijacked vessel, Indian Navy launches anti-piracy operations in Arabian Sea
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