Rescued crew chant 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' post Indian Navy's operation on hijacked ship; Visuals Surfaced

The first visuals of the rescued Indian crew from the hijacked Liberian-flagged vessel MV Lili Norfolk surfaced online on Saturday. In a video shared by the Indian Navy, the crew, including 15 Indians, can be seen chanting "Bharat Mata ki Jai" and expressing gratitude to the Indian Navy. The dramatic rescue operation was carried out by elite marine commandos, MARCOs, in the North Arabian Sea on Friday.

The MARCOs commandos successfully rescued all 21 crew members after boarding the vessel from the warship INS Chennai. The operation swiftly unfolded when five to six armed pirates attempted to hijack the Liberian-flagged vessel. The Indian Navy, deploying a warship, maritime patrol aircraft P-8I, helicopters, and MQ9B Predator drones, responded to the distress call from MV Lili Norfolk, ensuring the safety of the crew.

Indian Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal reported that frontline warship INS Chennai intercepted the cargo vessel at 3:15 pm, and the MARCOs commandos thoroughly "sanitised" it. An official post on social media highlighted the Indian Navy's rapid response, stating, "India Navy's Swift Response to the Hijacking Attempt of MV Lila Norfolk in the North Arabian Sea. All 21 crew onboard safely evacuated from the citadel." The post further confirmed the absence of hijackers after the sanitization by MARCOs.

#IndianNavy’s Swift Response to the Hijacking Attempt of MV Lila Norfolk in the North Arabian Sea.
All 21 crew (incl #15Indians) onboard safely evacuated from the citadel.

Sanitisation by MARCOs has confirmed absence of the hijackers.

The attempt of hijacking by the pirates… https://t.co/OvudB0A8VV pic.twitter.com/616q7avNjg

— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) January 5, 2024

After receiving the message about the attempted hijacking of MV Lila Norfolk, the Navy diverted INS Chennai from her anti-piracy patrol to assist the vessel. The vessel was kept under continuous surveillance using maritime patrol aircraft P8I and Predator MQ9B drones before the commandos entered it.

The attempted hijacking occurred amid heightened concerns over Houthi militants intensifying attacks on merchant vessels in the Red Sea, particularly during the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.