The Indian Navy freed the fishing vessel Azini from armed pirates and rescued all 20 crew members without casualties or injuries, in an operation spanning more than 48 hours.

The vessel had been hijacked last month off the northeast coast of Somalia and there was a risk it would be used as a “mother ship” for further attacks on merchant shipping in the region. Marine commandos were dropped by precision airdrop from an Indian Air Force C-17 aircraft, after the vessel was located and contained by non-kinetic measures. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the operation was completed on November 2, more than 3,000 km from Mumbai. The 20 crew members were Iranian, according to the Mehr News agency.