All 21 crew, including 15 Indians on board the MV Lila Norfolk vessel, which was hijacked on Thursday (Jan 4), have been secured and evacuated by the Indian Navy.

All 21 crew, including 15 Indians on board the MV Lila Norfolk vessel, which was hijacked on Thursday (Jan 4), have been secured and evacuated by the Indian Navy. Taking to X, the navy on Friday said, "All 21 crew (including 15 Indians) onboard safely evacuated from the citadel. Sanitisation by MARCOs has confirmed absence of the hijackers." MV Lila Norfolk was hijacked near Somalia's coast. "INS Chennai diverted from her Anti Piracy patrol and intercepted the MV at 1515hrs today, on 5th Jan. MV was kept under continuous surveillance using Maritime Patrol Aircraft, Predator MQ9B and integral helos. The Indian Navy Marine Commandos present onboard the Mission Deployed warship boarded the MV and have commenced the Sanitisation," the navy had earlier shared. #IndianNavy’s Swift Response to the Hijacking Attempt of MV Lila Norfolk in the North Arabian Sea. All 21 crew (incl #15Indians) onboard safely evacuated from the citadel. Sanitisation by MARCOs has confirmed absence of the hijackers. The attempt of hijacking by the pirates… https://t.co/OvudB0A8VV pic.twitter.com/616q7avNjg — SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) January 5, 2024 × "The attempt of hijacking by the pirates was probably abandoned with the forceful warning by the Indian Navy MPA of interception by Indian Naval warship. INS Chennai is in the vicinity of MV and rendering support to restore the power generation & propulsion, and commence her voyage to next port of call," the post added. "Indian Navy swiftly responded to the hijacking incident onboard Liberian flagged Bulk Carrier MV Lila Norfolk deploying considerable strength of assets (both ships and aircraft) and an aggressive intent to counter-attack by pirates," the naval forces said in an official statement on January 6. All 21 crew of MV Lila Norfolk have been rescued and are safe, the navy added. Increased surveillance in Arabian Sea after recent attacks The Indian Navy has increased its surveillance in the Arabian Sea after a recent spate of attacks in the region. According to a report by the news agency Reuters, data from the navy's Information Fusion Centre said that the Indian Ocean Region showed at least three hijackings in Dec 2023. The hijacking of commercial ships and attempted hijackings by suspected pirates near the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea regions resumed in December after a six-year lull. Experts believed this was because naval forces led by the US have diverted their attention to the Red Sea to thwart Houthi attacks. Abhijit Singh, head of the Maritime Policy Initiative at the Observer Research Foundation, told Reuters, "The sudden revival in ship hijacking and attacks can only be attributed to the pirates' willingness to take advantage of the fact that the focus of anti-piracy maritime forces has largely shifted from the Gulf of Eden to the Red Sea." (With inputs from agencies)

Arabian Sea hijack: All crew, including 15 Indians on board ship secured, safely evacuated by Indian Navy

After a fierce exchange of fire, the Nigerian troops thwarted an attempted hijack of a vessel in the restive Niger Delta.&nbsp;

Lieutenant Commander Thomas Otuji said in a statement that seven suspected pirates and militants were killed in crossfire last week during the rescue operation. A group of hostages had also been freed unhurt.&nbsp;

&quot;Troops of Operation Base 2 repelled a hijack of a vessel (MT VAJARA) by heavily armed bandits in Ramos River, around Agge area of Delta state,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

The commander said the Nigerian military were taking measures to make the entire Niger Delta and the waterways safe for oil firms, vessels and their crew.&nbsp;

In another incident, the troops arrested five people on October 17 and 18 near oil pipelines around the port city of Warri.&nbsp;

&quot;Five suspected vandals were arrested and they confessed to their plan to vandalise the wellheads,&quot; he said, adding that two boats were recovered during the operation.&nbsp;

After President Muhammadu Buhari last year announced he was winding down an amnesty to former militants in the oil-rich region, ship hijackings and militant attacks on oil facilities have become more frequent.&nbsp;

The militants claim to be seeking a larger share of the country&#39;s oil wealth for residents of the region as well as political autonomy. The government has urged the rebels to end the unrest and embrace the peace talks to be held on October 31.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP) 
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The military forced away pirates and rescued a group of hostages last week, as it stepped up measures to safeguard Niger Delta

After a fierce exchange of fire, the Nigerian troops thwarted an attempted hijack of a vessel in the restive Niger Delta. Lieutenant Commander Thomas Otuji said in a statement that seven suspected pirates and militants were killed in crossfire last week during the rescue operation. A group of hostages had also been freed unhurt. "Troops of Operation Base 2 repelled a hijack of a vessel (MT VAJARA) by heavily armed bandits in Ramos River, around Agge area of Delta state," he said. The commander said the Nigerian military were taking measures to make the entire Niger Delta and the waterways safe for oil firms, vessels and their crew. In another incident, the troops arrested five people on October 17 and 18 near oil pipelines around the port city of Warri. "Five suspected vandals were arrested and they confessed to their plan to vandalise the wellheads," he said, adding that two boats were recovered during the operation. After President Muhammadu Buhari last year announced he was winding down an amnesty to former militants in the oil-rich region, ship hijackings and militant attacks on oil facilities have become more frequent. The militants claim to be seeking a larger share of the country's oil wealth for residents of the region as well as political autonomy. The government has urged the rebels to end the unrest and embrace the peace talks to be held on October 31. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Nigerian troops thwart ship hijacking, kill seven suspected pirates

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