KOCHI: Indian Navy commandos has freed the cargo ship that was hijacked by a five-member pirate crew off the coast of Somalia. 21 crew members including 15 Indians are safe. The pirates escaped the ship after being warned by the navy commandos

The Liberian-flagged vessel 'MV Lila Norfolk' was hijacked. A helicopter was sent from an Indian warship that approached the hijacked ship to warn the pirates to leave the ship. After this, the elite commandos of the Navy, 'Marcos', entered the vessel.

According to the US Navy, nearly two dozen merchant ships have been attacked in the Red Sea since November. In view of these attacks, the Indian Navy has increased its deployment in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Naval aircraft are also continuously monitoring the area. Along with this, marine commandos deployed on warships are also conducting inspections by stopping ships near the Gulf of Aden.