Pariksha SaathiIndian Navy frees hijacked fishing vessel 'Azini' from armed pirates off Somalia; all 20 crew members safe
The Indian Navy has liberated the fishing vessel Azini from armed pirates off the coast of Somalia in a swift, well-coordinated operation spanning over 48 hours, and all 20 crew members were rescued safely with no casualties or injuries, the Ministry of Defence said on 3 November 2026. Azini had been reported hijacked by an armed pirate group last month off the north-eastern coast of Somalia; the Ministry said the hijacking was a significant maritime security threat, since the vessel could have been used as a 'mother ship' for launching further pirate attacks against merchant shipping in the region. The Navy tasked a mission-deployed warship, supported by a maritime reconnaissance aircraft; working in close coordination, these platforms located the vessel after persistent surveillance, tracked its movements and used calibrated non-kinetic measures to contain its movement and prevent its escape. Marine Commandos were augmented through a precision airdrop by an Indian Air Force (IAF) C-17 aircraft, after which the Navy secured the vessel, overcame the pirate threat and ensured the safe release of all 20 crew members. The Ministry said the operation reflects the Navy's high operational preparedness and its ability to undertake complex maritime security operations through seamless inter-service coordination, and underscores India's commitment to remaining the First Responder and Preferred Security Partner in the Indian Ocean Region.
Drafted with AI assistance from the official PIB release linked above and checked against it by a second AI pass. Not line-edited by a human.
Learning context
On 23 March 2024, PIB reported that the Indian Navy had completed 100 days of its maritime security operations under 'Op Sankalp', which it had re-oriented and significantly enhanced since mid-December 2023 in response to the manifestation of the Israel-Hamas conflict in the maritime domain; the Navy took proactive actions during the hijacking of the Malta-flagged bulk carrier MV Ruen on 14 December 2023. In those 100 days the Navy responded to 18 incidents in three areas of operations - the Gulf of Aden and adjoining areas, the Arabian Sea and off the East Coast of Somalia - deploying over 5000 personnel at sea and over 21 ships (over 450 ship days), with 900 hours of flying by maritime surveillance aircraft. The release reported over 110 lives saved, including 45 Indian seafarers, and described the Navy's role as the 'First Responder' and 'Preferred Security Partner' in the Indian Ocean Region, with the Information Fusion Centre - Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) at Gurugram serving as a principal hub for information exchange.
Check yourself: how many incidents did the Indian Navy respond to during its maritime security operations under 'Op Sankalp' in the 100 days from 14 December 2023 to 23 March 2024, and in which three areas were these operations conducted?
18 incidents; the Gulf of Aden and adjoining areas, the Arabian Sea and off the East Coast of Somalia.
Revision task: from this release, note the vessel's name, where it was hijacked, the duration of the operation, the number of crew rescued, the platforms used (a warship, a maritime reconnaissance aircraft and the IAF aircraft that airdropped Marine Commandos) and the roles India claims in the Indian Ocean Region; from the note, the operation's name, the vessel hijacked on 14 December 2023, the number of incidents, the three areas of operations and the lives saved.
Test yourself
The Ministry of Defence said on 3 November 2026 that the Indian Navy had freed the fishing vessel 'Azini' from armed pirates and rescued all 20 crew members. Off the coast of which country had the vessel been hijacked?
Show the answer
Answer: Somalia
The Ministry of Defence said Azini had been reported hijacked by an armed pirate group off the north-eastern coast of Somalia. A mission-deployed warship supported by a maritime reconnaissance aircraft located and contained the vessel, Marine Commandos were augmented through a precision airdrop by an IAF C-17 aircraft, and all 20 crew members were released safely.
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