The Indian Navy has rescued all 20 crew members of the pirated fishing vessel Azini in a 48-hour operation in the Arabian Sea, more than 3,000 km from Mumbai, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, in a statement reported by ANI on November 3. Singh said the rescue was carried out on November 2 through a coordinated effort that involved the swift localisation and interception of the vessel, followed by the safe release of its crew and the vessel from significantly armed pirates.

Source: ANI, Nov 3, 2026

In a post on X, the Defence Minister said: “My congratulations to Indian Navy for successfully executing a meticulously coordinated 48-hour operation to rescue all 20 crew members of the pirated fishing vessel, Azini, more than 3000 km from Mumbai in the Arabian Sea, on 02 Nov 26.” He said the operation was supported by the Indian Air Force and demonstrated the Navy's operational readiness and ability to respond to maritime threats across the region. “India continues to stand resolute in ensuring SAFE SEAS and a free, open and secure Indian Ocean Region,” he added.

Source: ANI, Nov 3, 2026

Seized off Somalia on October 29

The rescue followed the hijacking of the Azini off the north-eastern coast of Somalia. According to India Today reporting, the vessel was seized on Thursday, October 29, between the coastal towns of Bandar Bayla and Hafun, after 12 pirates boarded and took control of it. At the time of the hijacking, reports said the vessel was carrying 21 Iranian crew members and two Somali security guards — 23 people in total. The Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean (MSCIO) issued an alert warning that the vessel was approaching a commercial shipping lane and could be used as a “mother ship” to support attacks on merchant vessels farther from the Somali coast, and the European Union's Operation Atalanta was investigating the seizure.

Source: India Today via News89, Nov 2, 2026

The Maritime Executive, citing MSCIO and the Associated Press, reported the hijacking at about 0900 UTC on October 29 at a position roughly 185 nautical miles east of Bandarbayla, and said that by Saturday the Azini had moved about another 110 nautical miles east, closer to a common transit route for merchant shipping. A Puntland maritime police officer told AP that 12 pirates had captured the vessel and its 23 people on board.

Source: The Maritime Executive / AP, Nov 1, 2026

A piracy resurgence in the western Indian Ocean

The Azini hijacking came amid a resurgence of Somali piracy across the Gulf of Aden and the western Indian Ocean. India Today reported that by August, pirates had hijacked six commercial vessels since April, and that in September Puntland authorities said pirates had killed five crew members of the tanker MT Honour before security forces recovered that vessel and detained 16 suspects. International patrols had sharply reduced Somali piracy over the past decade, but the latest seizures have renewed concern for commercial shipping already facing disruption linked to the Iran war and threats in and around the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb.

What happens next

No official statement in the reports reviewed said what happened to the pirates after the crew's release, or where the Azini and its crew were taken after November 2. What the rescue does establish, on the Defence Minister's own account, is the pattern India is presenting to the region: a hijacked vessel located, intercepted and freed far from India's coast, in waters where piracy had been returning after years of decline. Shipping through the Gulf of Aden and the western Indian Ocean remains under the MSCIO and Atalanta warnings issued during the hijacking.