In a swift operation, the Indian Navy successfully thwarted the attempted hijack of the Liberian-flagged MV Lila Norfolk in the Arabian Sea. The naval intervention took place less than a day after a report surfaced, indicating an armed group boarding the vessel approximately 460 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia.
According to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency, which received the report, about five to six armed individuals boarded the vessel on Thursday. The crew took refuge in the ship’s citadel. The Indian Navy, responding promptly to the distress call, intercepted the vessel and evacuated all 21 crew members, including 15 Indians.
The MV Lila Norfolk, chartered by mining company Anglo-American (AAL.L), departed from the Acu port in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on December 6, carrying iron ore. The company confirmed the safety of the entire crew, stating that the ship is en route to its destination, scheduled to arrive on January 12. However, the statement did not provide details regarding the volume of iron ore being transported.
The vessel was bound for Khalifa bin Salman in Bahrain, as reported by British maritime security firm Ambrey. The Indian Navy suggested that the hijacking attempt may have been thwarted due to a forceful warning issued by the naval forces.
The incident highlights a resurgence in ship hijacking and attacks in the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea, which had been dormant for six years. Experts attribute the revival to the shifting focus of anti-piracy naval forces from the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea, leaving a void that pirates seem willing to exploit.
Abhijit Singh, head of the Maritime Policy Initiative at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi, emphasized that the sudden increase in piracy incidents underscores pirates’ opportunistic behavior in response to the altered strategic priorities of anti-piracy maritime forces.
Notably, India is not part of the U.S.-led Red Sea task force, but the Indian Navy has heightened surveillance in the Arabian Sea in response to the recent surge in attacks in the region. Source: Reuters
