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Indian Navy marine commandos board merchant vessel hijacked in Arabian Sea
The incident on board MV Lila Norfolk was reported by the cargo ship to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a facility run by Britain’s Royal Navy that tracks the movement of merchant shipping in strategic waterways, on Thursday evening
New Delhi: Marine commandos of the Indian Navy on Friday boarded a Liberian-flagged merchant vessel and launched a “sanitisation” operation after the vessel with several Indian crew members on board was hijacked by armed persons in the Arabian Sea.
The Indian Navy deployed a warship and an aircraft to monitor and assist MV Lila Norfolk, whose crew informed the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) on Thursday evening that five to six “unauthorised armed persons” had boarded the vessel 460 nautical miles east of Eyl in Somalia.
INS Chennai, a guided missile destroyer that was on an anti-piracy patrol in the region, intercepted MV Lila Norfolk at 3.15 pm on Friday, a navy spokesperson said.
“Indian Navy marine commandos present on board the warship boarded the merchant vessel and have commenced the sanitisation,” the spokesperson said.
After the incident on board MV Lila Norfolk was reported to the UKMTO, a facility run by Britain’s Royal Navy that tracks the movement of merchant shipping in strategic waterways, the Indian Navy deployed a maritime patrol aircraft and diverted INS Chennai to assist the vessel.
The merchant vessel was kept under continuous surveillance by the maritime patrol aircraft, a predator MQ9B drone and helicopters before it marine commandos boarded it.
The patrol aircraft overflew the ship early on Friday and “established contact with the vessel, ascertaining the safety of the crew”, the spokesperson said. The situation was closely monitored by the Indian Navy in coordination with other agencies and a multi-national force in the area.
“The Indian Navy remains committed to ensuring the safety of merchant shipping in the region along with international partners and friendly foreign countries,” the spokesperson added.
While some reports said there were up to 15 Indian crew members on MV Lila Norfolk, people familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity that the exact number is yet to be determined. The people said the crew members took shelter in a strong room and operated the vessel from there.
MV Lila Norfolk, a bulk carrier, was sailing from Brazil to Bahrain, according to websites that track merchant shipping.
No group claimed responsibility for the hijacking. There have been growing concerns about shipping in regional waters following a string of attacks carried out by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in support of Hamas.
The Indian Navy increased surveillance of the Arabian Sea after these attacks, deploying P-8I long-range patrol aircraft and several warships in the region.
Last month, the Indian Navy deployed a maritime patrol aircraft and a destroyer after the Malta-flagged MV Ruen was boarded by hijackers in the Arabian Sea. The navy subsequently evacuated an injured crew member of the vessel to Oman for treatment.
The Indian Navy and Coast Guard also responded when the tanker MV Chem Pluto, which had 21 Indians among its crew, was targeted with a drone in the waters off Gujarat on December 23. The vessel was escorted by Indian warships to Mumbai for repairs.
The Indian Navy has said it investigated a large number of fishing vessels and boarded vessels of interest in the north and central Arabian Sea following the recent attacks. “India plays the role of a net security provider in the entire Indian Ocean region. We will ensure that maritime trade in this region rises from the sea to the heights of the sky,” Union defence minister Rajnath Singh said last month, referring to the increased surveillance.
