NEW DELHI, India – The Indian Navy swiftly rescued the crew of a hijacked merchant vessel in the Arabian Sea on Friday, but the would-be pirates had mysteriously vanished by the time the warship arrived.
The drama unfolded just off the coast of Somalia, where the Indian Navy intercepted the Liberian-flagged MV Lila Norfolk less than 24 hours after reports of a hijacking. About five to six armed individuals had boarded the ship on Thursday, prompting the crew to take refuge in the vessel’s secure citadel.
Responding to the distress call, the Indian Navy dispatched a warship, which evacuated all 21 crew members, including 15 Indians. The vessel, bound for Bahrain, was still adrift without power, but the Navy is working to restore it and allow the voyage to resume.
What happened to the pirates remains a mystery. The Indian Navy believes they may have abandoned their attempt after receiving “forceful warnings” from both the Navy and surveillance aircraft. This incident comes amidst a resurgence of piracy in the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea, with at least three hijackings reported in December after a six-year lull.
Experts attribute this resurgence to a perceived shift in focus among anti-piracy forces, who have been concentrating on the Red Sea to combat attacks by Houthi rebels. This has left the Gulf of Aden vulnerable, tempting pirates to re-emerge.
“The pirates are exploiting the gap created by the anti-piracy forces’ shift to the Red Sea,” said Abhijit Singh, head of the Maritime Policy Initiative at a New Delhi think tank. “India, not part of the Red Sea task force, is now playing a crucial role in securing the Arabian Sea.”