The Indian Navy has announced its intention to seize a Liberian-flagged ship in the Arabian Sea.

The Indian Navy said its warships were targeting a stolen Liberian-flagged vessel in the Arabian Sea and its aircraft were closely monitoring the situation. "We are rapidly responding to a maritime incident involving an attempted hijacking of a cargo ship in the Arabian Sea," the Navy said in a statement on Friday.

The report said the ship reported to the UK Merchant Marine Operations Portal that it had five or six unidentified armed personnel on board on Thursday evening. At least 15 Indian crew members were on board the MV Lila Norfolk, which was hijacked off the coast of Somalia. Indian media, citing military officials, reported that the navy received information about this on Thursday evening.

The Indian warship INS Chennai was hijacked and sent to support the hijacked vessel last Friday after a naval aircraft flew over it and made contact, the Navy said in a statement. The Navy "must work with international partners and friendly foreign countries to ensure the safety of commercial shipping in the region."

The Indian Navy has stepped up surveillance in the Arabian Sea following recent regional attacks. Earlier this week, the Navy announced that it had boarded several fishing vessels and vessels of interest in the northern and central Arabian Sea.

“India serves as the internet security provider in the Indian Ocean region. We will ensure that the maritime trade of the region flows from sea to sky.” Defense Minister Rajnath Singh last month spoke of increased surveillance in the region.