India intercepted and secured the bulk carrier Lila Norfolk after at least five armed pirates boarded the vessel near Somalia on Thursday.
According to a statement released by the Indian Navy, the crew is safe after the navy’s elite team of marine commandos intervened.
They also boarded the ship to “sanitize” the vessel.
The pirates, who had boarded the vessel on Thursday, reportedly fled.
There were 21 crewmembers aboard, including 15 Indian nationals.
The vessel alerted the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) late on Thursday that five or six armed intruders were boarding the 170 000 dwt bulker.
The vessel, registered in Liberia, was sailing from Brazil to Bahrain and was located 460 nautical miles to the east of Eyl, Somalia, at the time of the incident.
AIS signals reveal that the ship had continued on its course but later stopped and turned toward Somalia.
According to the Indian Navy, the crew had been operating the vessel from the citadel and were secure.
It is unclear at this stage whether the pirates had breached the citadel.
On Friday morning, the Indian Navy established contact with the vessel after dispatching its destroyer, Chennai, and a patrol aircraft to track the vessel.
The navy issued an ultimatum to the pirates to surrender the vessel. The elite commando team boarded the Lila Norfolk and searched for the intruders.
The UKMTO issued an alert reporting that the commandos had not found any unauthorized individuals aboard and that the crew was safe.
The vessel was reported to be sailing out of the region.
The latest incident is the second hijacking of a commercial vessel off Somalia in recent weeks.
Somali pirates hijacked a bulk carrier, the Ruen, which was still held off Somalia in mid-December.
The Indian Navy also tracked and intercepted the vessel run by shipping company Navibulga, and took custody of one injured crewmember who was transferred to the hospital.
