Indian Navy rescues 21 personnel, incl. 15 Indians, from hijacked ship near Somalia coast

January 6, 2024 | < 1 min read

**Indian and other countries’ sailors rescued by Indian Navy commandos from the bulk carrier MV Lila Norfolk, which was hijacked off the coast of Somalia** *(Photo: Screengrabs by ANI from video released by Indian Navy on X)*

On Friday, January 5, Indian Navy commandos, called ‘MARCOs’ (short for ‘marine commandos’), successfully stopped a group of five to six armed individuals from hijacking the MV Lila Norfolk, a bulk carrier, off the coast of Somalia.

They managed to rescue all 21 crew members, among whom 15 were Indians.

The Navy deployed the guided-missile destroyer INS Chennai, maritime patrol aircraft, helicopters, P-8I aircraft, long-range aircraft and Predator MQ9B drones for its rescue mission.

At present, India has positioned four destroyers, namely INS Kochi, INS Kolkata, INS Mormugao and INS Chennai, alongside Talwar-class frigates and missile boats in the Arabian Sea to uphold maritime security.