Navy hot on the heels of merchant vessel bandits

NEW DELHI: The Indian Navy said on Saturday that it is investigating suspected vessels in the North Arabian Sea to track down the pirates involved in an attempted to hijack the Liberian-flagged vessel MV Lila Norfolk. The vessel, carrying 21 crew members, including 15 Indians, was targeted by unknown armed personnel on Thursday evening.

Navy Chief Admiral R. Hari Kumar said on Saturday that Indian Navy is going to increase the number of warships deployed for anti-piracy and anti-drone activities in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden.  "Indian Navy has deployed six warships in the Anti Piracy and Anti Drone operations. The number is going to go up further. A proposal has been submitted to the government in this regard and clearance is expected shortly," he told a news agency.

He mentioned that it appears the hijackers of MV Lila Norfolk fled on spotting Indian Navy's drones and aircraft. "It seems that after seeing our aircraft and drones operating all over the ship hijacked by them, the pirates ran away from on the night of January 4-5 itself. The Marine Commandos had to sanitise the vessel for any traps or other issues," he said.

The Navy Chief stated that the first action taken by the Indian Navy upon receiving information about the hijacking was to direct the forward mission-deployed ship, INS Chennai, to move towards the vessel, located at a distance of 400 miles.

"Simultaneously, we launched our aircraft immediately to communicate with the crew... There were approximately 4-5 fishing boats around our ship, providing us with a clear indication of a pirate attack," he explained. He said that the Anti-Piracy Rule, enacted by the Government, played a crucial role in this operation.

"It is our duty to protect our national interests, regardless of their location. Though it was not an Indian-flagged ship, the crew were Indian, and it is our national policy to assist them in times of distress. We have followed a similar approach in Sudan and Ukraine. We embrace the challenge of repatriating our countrymen, no matter where they are," stated the Navy Chief. He added that directives have been issued to naval officers to take decisive actions to prevent piracy at any cost. "Our objective is to maintain the safety and security of the Indian Ocean region," he said.

"All 21 crew members of MV Lila Norfolk have been rescued and are safe. Indian Naval forces are actively investigating suspected vessels in the area," the Navy said. It said efforts were on to restore the vessel's functionality and highlighted the recent surge in maritime incidents in the strategic waters. The crew is now focused on restoring the vessel's propulsion system, power supply, and steering gear, to resume its journey under the escort of an Indian naval warship.

A video shared by the Navy featured three Indian crew members expressing gratitude for their rescue. "I am proud of the Indian Navy," remarked one of the crew members.

The incident with MV Lila Norfolk follows a series of maritime events, including a drone attack on the Liberian-flagged vessel MV Chem Pluto on December 23, off India's west coast. Another commercial oil tanker en route to India experienced a suspected drone strike in the Southern Red Sea on the same day, carrying a team of 25 Indian crew members.