Indian naval forces have freed an Iranian fishing boat and its crew of 20 people hijacked off the coast of Somalia after an operation lasting more than 48 hours, the Indian Defense Ministry announced on Tuesday.
The rescue of the Azini was completed Monday in the Arabian Sea, more than 3,000 kilometers (1,865 miles) from Mumbai, Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said.
A Puntland maritime police official told The Associated Press that Indian forces disarmed 12 suspected Somali pirates, confiscated their cellphones and released them. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
X / Rajnath Singh
The suspects and two Somali security guards then disembarked in Bandar Bayla, in northeastern Somalia, the official said. Three of those who disembarked were lightly injured, but he did not say whether they were suspects or guards, or how they were injured.
The Indian ministry said the operation ended without causing any casualties or injuries. It was not made clear whether this account covered everyone on board or just the rescued crew. It is unclear whether the crew remained on the ship or were transferred elsewhere.
The operation involved a warship, maritime surveillance aircraft and maritime commandos. An Indian Air Force C-17 aircraft dropped additional commandos, the ministry said.
The Azini was diverted on October 29 between Bandar Bayla and Hafun. A Puntland maritime police officer said Sunday it was carrying 21 Iranian crew members and two Somali security guards. The difference between this number of crews and the Indian relief figure could not immediately be explained.
Indian forces tracked the ship by sea and air before securing it, the ministry said. There were fears that pirates could use the boat as a floating base to attack commercial ships.
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