India : The crew members of the hijacked vessel MV Lili Norfolk, who were successfully rescued by Indian Naval commandos, have expressed their gratitude to the Navy for saving their lives. In the first visuals of the rescued crew, they can be heard chanting “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and extending their thanks to the Indian Navy.
In a video shared by the Indian Navy, one of the crew members stated, “We were locked inside for 24 hours, and the Indian Navy rescued us.” Another crew member remarked, “We are proud of the Indian Navy,” while others in the background joined in chanting “Bharat Mata ki Jai.”
The Indian Naval commandos, belonging to the elite force MARCOs, boarded the hijacked vessel on Friday and safely evacuated all 21 crew members, including 15 Indians. The Liberian-flagged merchant vessel had been boarded by five to six pirates attempting to hijack it.
Upon receiving the distress call, the Indian Navy swiftly diverted a warship, maritime patrolling aircraft, helicopters, and drones for surveillance until the commandos successfully boarded the vessel. The Navy, in a statement, mentioned, “MV was kept under continuous surveillance using MPA, Predator MQ9B & integral helos.”
The commandos thoroughly sanitized the vessel and confirmed the absence of pirates upon boarding. The Indian Navy speculated that the attempted hijacking by the pirates was likely abandoned due to the forceful warning issued by the Indian Navy’s Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) regarding interception by an Indian Naval warship.
After the crew’s evacuation, INS Chennai, in the vicinity of the merchant vessel, provided support to restore power generation and propulsion, enabling the vessel to commence its voyage to the next port of call.
