As this publication reported yesterday, the Liberian-flagged merchant vessel MV Lila Norfolk was boarded by five armed pirates yesterday, 460NM East of Ely, Somalia. The Indian Navy was the first coalition partner to make contact with the vessel. Since midnight on January 5th, 2023, the Indian Navy Kolkata-class destroyer INS Chennai established overhead ISR of the vessel.
By 0100 EST, Indian Navy officials confirmed that 15 Indian nationals were onboard the vessel of the 21 total crew members. By 0700 EST, Indian Naval Marines Commandos (MARCOS) had radioed the pirates and warned them to disembark or they would be engaged. The pirates reportedly heeded the warnings and left the vessel. Less than thirty minutes later, the MARCOS landed on this vessel and liberated the crew from the citadel.
#INSChennai diverted from #AntiPiracy patrol intercepted MV Lila Norfolk at 1515h on #05Jan 2024.
MV was kept under continuous surveillance using MPA, Predator MQ9B & integral helos.#IndianNavy MARCOs present onboard the Mission Deployed warship boarded MV & commenced… https://t.co/gotHLCZL5e— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) January 5, 2024
By 1000 EST, the Indian government published these videos showing the MARCOS landing on the vessel, accompanied by the announcement that the vessel had been “sanitized.”
#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
