The Indian Navy has completed the hijacking of a merchant ship off the coast of Somalia. All 21 crew members on board the “MV Lila Norfolk”, including 15 from India, are free again.
The navy reported this on Platform X on Friday. Indian operational commands also confirmed that there were no longer any hijackers on board. “The attempted hijacking by pirates was likely aborted due to a strong warning from an Indian naval patrol aircraft and surveillance of an Indian warship,” the report said.
As reported, five to six armed men boarded the Lebanese-flagged vessel on Thursday evening, about 460 nautical miles east of the Somali town of Eyl. According to the captain, the crew had barricaded themselves in the citadel.
Here you can see a tweet about saving the ship’s crew.
The coast has often been attacked by pirates
The coast off the crisis state of Somalia was once the scene of repeated pirate attacks. The EU mission ‘Atlanta’ has been active since 2008 to combat piracy. Since then, attacks have decreased significantly. According to the Piracy Reporting Center, another kidnapping took place on December 14. At that moment a cargo ship was hijacked and driven to Somalia.
Somalia is located in the Horn of Africa, on the other side of the Gulf of Aden from Yemen. The dangers in the region have increased sharply. Since the outbreak of the Gaza war, the Iran-backed Houthis have repeatedly attacked ships in the Red Sea to prevent them from sailing to Israel. The Red Sea is one of the most important shipping lanes for world trade because it connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean via the Suez Canal in Egypt.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
