The operation was carried out some 3,000 km from Mumbai in the Arabian Sea, officials said.
The hijacking represented a significant maritime security threat, with the possibility of the vessel being employed as a “mother ship” for launching further pirate attacks against merchant shipping in the region, the Indian Navy said on Tuesday.
“Responding to the situation, the Indian Navy tasked a mission-deployed warship to intervene, supported by a maritime reconnaissance aircraft. Working in close coordination, these platforms located the vessel after persistent surveillance, tracked its movements and employed calibrated non-kinetic measures to contain its movement and prevent its escape,” it said in a statement.
In a statement on social media platform X on Tuesday, Iran’s Embassy in New Delhi expressed its appreciation for the swift rescue mission carried out by the Indian Navy and Indian Air Force.
“We highly commend the professionalism, courage and effective coordination demonstrated by the Indian Armed Forces, reflecting India’s strong commitment to Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and its role in saving lives beyond borders,” the embassy wrote on X, according to Press TV.
“This humanitarian operation stands as a testament to the spirit of friendship, solidarity and cooperation between Iran and India,” it added.
The hijacking comes amid a renewed resurgence of Somali piracy across the Gulf of Aden and the western Indian Ocean, threatening the safety of fishermen, commercial vessels and maritime traffic.
MNA
