New Delhi:
In a daring 40-hour operation, the Indian Navy on Saturday forced 35 Somali pirates to surrender and rescued 17 crew members held hostage on a hijacked ship, the navy said in a statement.
The Indian warship INS Kolkata sailed more than 2,600 km and cornered the bulk cargo ship Ruen, which was used as a pirate ship for three months after it was hijacked on December 14.
The high-stakes rescue operation involved multiple naval ships, drones, aircraft and naval commandos.
When an Indian plane approached the hijacked ship, the pirates opened fire on it. In a video shared by the Navy, a pirate can be seen walking onto the ship's deck, pointing his gun at the plane hovering above the ship and firing twice.
#IndianNavy thwarts plans by Somali pirates to hijack ships sailing through the region by intercepting ex-MV Ruen.
The ex-MV Ruen, which had been hijacked by Somali pirates, stood up #14Dec 23, reportedly set out as a pirate ship to perform deeds #piracy informed… pic.twitter.com/gOtQJvNpZb
— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) March 16, 2024
The pirates also attacked a naval ship when it intercepted the hijacked ship.
After being attacked on Friday, the Navy changed its position to self-defense and demanded that the pirates surrender and release the hostages.
On Saturday, the Navy successfully took control of the ship with support from patrol vessel INS Subhadra, High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE RPA) drones and P8I maritime patrol aircraft.
A team of eight naval commandos (MARCOS PRAHARs) were then dropped onto the ship by a C-17 aircraft to detain the pirates and safely evacuate the crew.
There were no injuries during the operation, the Navy said, adding that the ship had been checked for illegal weapons, ammunition and contraband.
“#IndianNavy thwarts plans by Somali pirates to hijack ships sailing through the region by intercepting ex-MV Ruen. The ex-MV Ruen, which was hijacked by Somali pirates on December 23, is said to have sailed as a pirate ship to carry out #piracy on the high seas. The #IndianNavy remains committed to #maritime security and safety of seafarers in the region,” the Navy said in a statement.