15 Indian crew onboarded “The MV LILA NORFOLK” ship got Hijacked by Unknown Armed Persons last night at the coast of Somalia, increasing alarms regarding the safety of the crew. This is the second attack to take place in less than two weeks after the Houthis attack on 26th December 2023.
However, the Indian Navy is closely monitoring the situation of the hijacked ship currently. Know what happened to a Liberian-flagged ship on the Somalia coast.
Lila Norfolk Hijacked:
A Liberian-flagged ship, “ MV LILA NORFOLK,” at the coast of Somalia got hijacked last night with 15 Indian crew present on the ship. The Indian Navy said that the hijacked ship sent a message to United Kingdom Maritime operations about the hijack by which the Indian Navy came to know about the hijack.
The ship message read as “ five to six unknown armed members boarded the ship on 4th January evening” while the crew members were in a safe and strong room and controlling the ship.
Indian Navy In Action:
The Indian navy made a successful contact with the hijacked ship by flying an aircraft over it after the hijack and carefully monitoring the situation.
The INS Chennai, a warship, has been diverted towards the hijacked ship for surveillance and assisting the MV LILA NORFOLK ship in any circumstances.
It has also deployed long-range aircraft, predator drones, and helicopters near the hijacked cargo ship that can take down any attack taking place from either inside or outside the cargo ship.
Previous Attack:
This is the second event that has taken place in less than a month previously. Iran’s Houthis launched a drone attack on a merchant ship sailing in the Arabian Sea near Gujarat coast. After the attack, the Indian navy deployed warships and aircraft to record and destroy any suspicious activity, increasing the sea’s surveillance.
The Indian Navy also investigated the suspected ships but did not find any traces of attacks among them.
Negative Impact On Traders:
As India holds the security of the coasts of the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean, the Indian Navy is ready to go to any extent for the safety and trust of trading countries.
In this context, the Indian Navy said it will increase the necessary support from maritime trade to ensure the safety of cargo ships and crew.
Any tragedy in ships can cause an impact on the trading expectations from other countries to India. This may lead to fewer imports, impacting the country’s product prices.
Indian Navy Rescue Mission:
The INS Chennai went close to the hijacked ship and sent a helicopter to give a warning at the right time to the unknown armed men who boarded the ship to abandon the ship. All the crew members were rescued from the safe and robust room without any casualties. However, the hijacked unknown men abandoned the ship by the time the Indian Navy went to the top floors of the ship. The Indian Navy claimed that the hijacked unknown men already abandoned the ship due to the strong warning. 15 Indian crew were present in a total of 21 crew members on the hijacked ship.
Conclusion:
Indian Navy has deployed warships, aircraft, and guided missiles at the suspected and effective locations to destroy any attacks and increase its presence in the ocean. These back-to-back attacks on ships raised several concerns regarding the trade and threats. However, the Indian Navy is ready for any attack that may leave the trading expectations low.
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