The Indian Navy has freed the hijacked fishing vessel Azini from armed pirates off the northeastern coast of Somalia and brought all 20 crew members to safety, with no one killed or hurt. The operation ran for more than 48 hours and ended on Sunday, 2 November 2026, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement released on Monday morning.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced the rescue on X on Sunday night. He said the boat was found and boarded in the Arabian Sea more than 3,000 km from Mumbai, NDTV reported. Most of the rescued crew are Iranian nationals, and Iran’s embassy in New Delhi has publicly thanked India for the mission.
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How the fishing vessel Azini was seized
According to the Navy, an armed pirate group took control of Azini off the northeastern Somali coast last month. The concern for naval planners was not only the crew. Pirates in the region have often used captured fishing boats as a “mother ship”, a floating base from which smaller skiffs can be launched to attack passing merchant ships far from land.
The trade and shipping website World Ports Organization reported that Azini was hijacked on 29 October at about 9 am UTC (2.30 pm IST), and that the incident was logged by the Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean and by UK Maritime Trade Operations. It said the vessel was later tracked moving east, towards busy commercial shipping routes. These details come from that report and were not part of the Indian government statement.
Warship, aircraft and an airdrop of commandos
The Navy said it sent a warship already deployed on a mission in the region, backed by a maritime reconnaissance aircraft. After a period of steady surveillance, the two located the boat, kept track of it and used what the statement called calibrated measures, without firing on it, to box it in and stop it from escaping.
Marine Commandos, known as MARCOS, were then reinforced through a precision airdrop from an Indian Air Force C17 transport aircraft. The Navy said its team carried out a swift tactical intervention, took control of the boat and overcame the pirates, after which all 20 crew members were released. The Hindu reported the same sequence of events.
World Ports Organization named the destroyer INS Kolkata as the warship involved and said a P8I maritime patrol aircraft and a Sea Guardian drone also took part. The Navy’s own statement did not name the platforms, so these details rest on that single report.
The government statement also did not say what happened to the pirates after the boarding, how many there were, or whether any were taken into custody. Bharat Stories could not confirm those details.
What Rajnath Singh and Iran said
Congratulating the Navy, Rajnath Singh wrote: “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.”
He said the quick tracking, interception and release of the crew and vessel from heavily armed pirates, “with timely support from the Indian Air Force”, showed the Navy’s high readiness, according to a second NDTV report. “India continues to stand resolute in ensuring SAFE SEAS and a free, open and secure Indian Ocean Region,” he added.
The Indian Express reported that the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in New Delhi expressed “sincere appreciation” to the Government of India, the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force for rescuing “the 20 Iranian crew members” of the boat. The embassy said the mission reflected India’s commitment to Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and to saving lives beyond its borders.
A question over the number on board
There is one open question. Indian authorities have said 20 people were rescued. World Ports Organization noted that an earlier count by the Puntland Maritime Police Force in Somalia listed 21 Iranian crew members and two Somali security guards on the vessel. The difference has not been explained in any official statement so far, and this report uses the Indian figure of 20 rescued crew.
Why the Navy keeps ships near Somalia
The Ministry of Defence said the mission showed India’s resolve to remain a “First Responder” and “Preferred Security Partner” in the Indian Ocean Region, and to protect seafarers and the trade routes that carry much of the country’s oil and goods. Indian warships have patrolled in and around the Gulf of Aden against piracy since 2008, according to World Ports Organization.
Azini is the latest in a run of such operations. In July this year, the stealth frigate INS Trikand responded to an attempted pirate attack on MV Golden Arsenal, a bulk carrier with 21 crew, about 300 nautical miles east northeast of Djibouti, the Indian Express noted. The Navy also handled several piracy incidents between December 2023 and early 2024 under Operation Sankalp.
INS Kolkata itself took part in the March 2024 operation against the hijacked bulk carrier MV Ruen, in which 17 crew were rescued and 35 pirates surrendered, World Ports Organization recalled.
For the Navy’s history and the story behind its annual celebration, read our piece on Indian Navy Day on 4 December. The Air Force’s role in this rescue is a reminder of the service we profile in Indian Air Force Day on 8 October, and our explainer on World Maritime Day looks at why safe sea lanes matter for global trade.
Featured image photo: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Drace Wilson, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. It shows the destroyer INS Kolkata at sea in November 2020 and was not taken during this operation.
FAQ
What is the fishing vessel Azini?
Azini is a fishing boat, described by the Indian Express and by the Iranian embassy as Iranian, that was hijacked by armed pirates off northeastern Somalia in late October 2026.
How many people did the Indian Navy rescue?
The Ministry of Defence said all 20 crew members were rescued unhurt. An earlier Somali count reported by World Ports Organization listed more people on board, which is still unexplained.
When did the rescue happen?
Rajnath Singh said the operation was carried out on 2 November 2026, and the Navy said it lasted more than 48 hours.
Sources
- Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Defence, 3 November 2026: operation over 48 hours, 20 crew, no casualties, mother ship risk, warship and aircraft, C17 airdrop of Marine Commandos, First Responder.
- NDTV, 2 November 2026: Rajnath Singh’s post on X, 3,000 km from Mumbai, date of operation.
- NDTV, 3 November 2026: further quotes from the Defence Minister.
- The Indian Express, 3 November 2026: crew mostly Iranian, Iranian embassy statement, INS Trikand and Operation Sankalp background.
- The Hindu, 3 November 2026: account of the operation.
- World Ports Organization, 3 November 2026: hijack date and time, INS Kolkata, P8I and Sea Guardian, Puntland crew count, MV Ruen background.