PM lauds Navy commandos for pulling off daring rescue

Aditya-L1 (first solar observatory) has travelled 1.5 million kms to reach its designated parking spot in time... this is a brilliant display of India and its scientists' capabilities

- Neeraj Chauhan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday lauded the Indian Navy for its "daring operation" to rescue 21 crew members on board a hijacked merchant vessel in the Arabian Sea as he addressed the country's top security brass on the concluding day of the closed-door annual security conference.

In his address at the annual director general of police/ inspector general of police conference in Jaipur, the PM also said that the three new criminal laws would mark a paradigm shift in the criminal justice system.

"Two days ago, Indian Navy carried out a very daring operation. As soon as an SOS message was received from the merchant vessel, which had 21 crew members including 15 Indians, Navy's marine commandos actively responded, reached about 2,000 kms in the Arabian Sea and rescued all of them. You must have seen the (rescue) video in which crew is chanting Bharat Mata Ki Jai," the PM said according to an official release.

The Navy deployed its guided missile destroyer INS Chennai to monitor and assist MV Lila Norfolk after its crew of 21 people, including 15 Indians, informed the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) on Thursday evening that five to six "unauthorized armed persons" had boarded the vessel 460 nautical miles east of Eyl in Somalia.

Marine commandos chased and boarded the Liberian-flagged vessel and evacuated all crew members from a strongroom in which they had been sheltering to avoid being taken hostage. "Sanitisation by the marine commandos has confirmed absence of the hijackers," a navy spokesperson had said after the operation.