India's navy said Friday it had rescued all 21 crew members from a vessel in the Arabian Sea after a hijacking distress call, the latest attack on commercial shipping in the region.
The navy said it had "responded swiftly to a maritime incident in the Arabian Sea involving a hijacking attempt" of the MV Lila Norfolk, a Liberian-flagged bulk carrier.
The INS Chennai, a navy destroyer, had intercepted the vessel on Friday afternoon and a spokesman told AFP that commandos were in the process of ensuring it was "clear of any illegal persons who were reported on the vessel earlier".
The Liberian-flagged ship with 15 Indians on board had been hijacked off the Somali coast, media reported.
Five or six armed persons disembarked on board the MV LILA NORFOLK on the evening of January 4, according to Indian soldiers quoted by the outlet.
The Indian Navy warship INS Chennai is on its way to the hijacked cargo ship to deal with the situation, which is being monitored by the Indian Navy aircraft, the military officials reportedly said.
They added that they established connection with the crew, who are in a safe place onboard, the media said.
According to Statista, a global data and business intelligence platform, the frequency of attacks off the coast of Somalia, which reached its highest point in 2011 with a total of 160 recorded attacks, has decreased to merely eight incidents between 2016 and 2022. This significant decline can be attributed to the global naval crackdown on piracy in the region.