Indian Navy shares video of commandos boarding hijacked ship in Arabian Sea to evacuate crew members. Watch it here

After a high-voltage drama in the high seas, all 21 crew members including 15 Indian nationals from the hijacked vessel off Somalia coast were safely evacuated by the Indian Navy on January 5, 2024.

"Indian Navy's Swift Response to the Hijacking Attempt of MV Lila Norfolk in the North Arabian Sea. All 21 crew (incl 15 Indians) onboard safely evacuated from the citadel. Sanitisation by MARCOs has confirmed absence of the hijackers," the Indian Navy said in a statement.

Indian Navy on their social media account on 'X' shared a video of the moment when the commandos onboarded the ship and carried out their operation.



The marine commandos boarded a hijacked Liberian-flagged commercial bulk carrier in the North Arabian Sea, Navy officials said. The Navy deployed a warship, maritime patrol aircraft P-8I and long-range Predator MQ9B drone in response to the hijacking of commercial vessel MV Lila Norfolk that is understood to have over a dozen Indian crew members.

Navy officials said frontline warship INS Chennai was diverted from her anti-piracy patrol and it intercepted the hijacked vessel at 3:15 pm in the North Arabian Sea.

The vessel was kept under continuous surveillance using maritime patrol aircraft P8I and Predator MQ9B drones, the officials said.

MV Lila Norfolk sent a message on the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) portal indicating that five to six unknown armed personnel boarded the vessel on Thursday evening.

Rise in maritime attacks:
The fresh hijack incident is one of many such maritime incidents witnessed in the strategic waters in the last few weeks.

Liberian-flagged vessel MV Chem Pluto, with 21 Indian crew members, was the target of a drone attack off India's west coast on December 23.

Besides MV Chem Pluto, another commercial oil tanker that was on the way to India came under a suspected drone strike in the Southern Red Sea on the same day. The vessel had a team of 25 Indian crew.

In another incident, Malta-flagged vessel MV Ruen was hijacked on December 14 by pirates.

The Indian Navy on Wednesday said it continues to monitor the maritime security situation in the North and Central Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden.

"Indian Naval ships and aircraft remain mission deployed for maintaining enhanced surveillance and undertaking maritime security operations," it said.

"In the last one week, Indian Naval Task Groups deployed in the area have investigated large number of fishing vessels and boarded vessels of interest," it added.

The task groups comprised warships, surveillance planes and remotely-piloted aircraft.

(With agency inputs)