Hijacking a ship. (symbolic)
A Chinese-owned fishing vessel was hijacked off the northeast coast of Somalia last week. Local authorities said on Friday that 18 crew members were on board. An official in the Shafun district of the semi-autonomous state of Puntland said the hijackers included the ship’s security guards, who later joined forces with armed men from the coastal region. The hijacked ship is docked in Puntland.
The European Union’s anti-piracy naval force, UNAVFOR Atalanta, drew global attention to the incident on Thursday by issuing a statement confirming that the ship was occupied by armed men. As for the crew members, there are 18 people on board, the statement read in part. No one has been injured. After investigation, the incident has been declared as armed robbery at sea.
Hijacking of Liberian ship
That year, a Liberian-flagged ship was hijacked off the coast of Somalia with 15 Indian crew members on board. The Indian Navy has deployed the warship INS Chennai to monitor the situation and ensure the safety of the crew.
The ship sent a message to the UKMTO portal.
Indian Navy is closely monitoring the hijacked ship ‘MV Leela Norfolk’. The Indian Navy aircraft was being monitored and contact was made with the crew who were in a safe house on board, military officials said. The Indian Navy’s mission-deployed platforms responded rapidly to a maritime incident in the Arabian Sea. The ship had sent a message to the UKMTO portal stating that there were about five to six unidentified armed personnel on board.
Diverted to INS Chennai.
The Indian Navy launched an MPA and diverted INS Chennai deployed for maritime security operations to support the ship. The aircraft flew over the ship on Friday morning and made contact with the ship, ensuring the safety of the crew. Naval aircraft are continuously monitoring the activities and INS Chennai is close to the ship to provide assistance.
