A Liberian-flagged vessel with 15 Indian crew onboard has been hijacked off the coast of Somalia, according to military officials on Friday. The Indian Navy is closely monitoring the developments regarding the ship 'MV Lila Norfolk' after receiving information about the hijacking on Thursday evening, they told news agency ANI.
According to the military officials, the merchant vessel was hijacked by pirates 300 nautical miles east of Somalia. It was sailing from Port Du Aco (Brazil) and was bound for Khalifa Bin Salman in Bahrain. An Indian Navy aircraft has been deployed to keep watch on the ship and communication has been established with the crew, the officials added.
Indian Navy warship INS Chennai, which was earlier reported moving towards the hijacked vessel, has reached the harbour of MV Lila Norfolk off the Somalia coast and issued a warning to the pirates to abandon the ship. The Indian warship has also launched a helicopter and the Marine commandors MARCOS are ready for further operations. All the Indian crew on board have been reported safe, as per the officials.
The Indian Navy's Mission Deployed Platforms responded swiftly to the hijacking attempt after it received a message on the UKMTO portal indicating boarding by approximately five to six unknown armed personnel on Thursday evening, the Indian Navy said in an official statement on Friday.
The aircraft overflew the vessel on Friday morning and established contact with the vessel, ascertaining the safety of the crew. The overall situation is being closely monitored in coordination with other agencies and MNFs in the area, said the Indian Navy.
Indian Navy warships deployed after attacks
Earlier on December 23, the Indian Navy deployed multiple guided missile destroyers including INS Mormugao, INS Kochi and INS Kolkata in various areas of the Arabian Sea to maintain a deterrent presence after a suspected drone attack on merchant vessel MV Chem Pluto last month.
Moreover, long-range maritime reconnaissance P8I aircraft are also being regularly tasked to maintain domain awareness. The Liberian-flagged MV Chem Pluto carrying 21 Indian crew and a Vietnamese crew member reached Mumbai and anchored safely on December 25. The vessel caught fire after it was attacked by a suspected drone.
The Indian Coast Guard Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Mumbai received information regarding a fire onboard MV Chem Pluto, reportedly attacked by a suspected drone strike or aerial platform. The Indian Coast Guard Maritime Coordination Centre (MRCC), which established real-time communication with the vessel's agent, ascertained no loss of life and assured all assistance.
Indian Navy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar has asked to keep a close lookout for any suspicious activity in the region, which has seen incidents of attacks on merchant vessels recently, especially following the Israel-Hamas war.
Several Liberian-flagged vessels have also been attacked in the Red Sea strategic corridor by Yemen-based Houthi rebels following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. Two such vessels were attacked with missiles by Houthis on December 16.
There have been a total of 25 attacks against merchant vessels by the Houthis transiting the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, said Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, who heads the US Navy operations in the Middle East.
(with inputs from ANI)
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