The Indian Navy thwarted plans by Somali pirates to hijack commercial vessels by rescuing MV Ruen in a 40-hour-long anti-piracy mission.
“#INSKolkata, in the last 40 hours, through concerted actions successfully cornered and coerced all 35 Pirates to surrender & ensured safe evacuation of 17 crew members in the evening today #16Mar 24 from the pirate vessel without any injury,” the Indian Navy said on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday.
MV Ruen, a Bulgarian-owned but Maltese-flagged bulk cargo ship, was hijacked by Somali pirates in December and may have been used to hijack Bangladesh-flagged MV Abdullah, Financial Times reported on Sunday. After the highjacking, MV Ruen was stationed off the coast of Eyl in Somalia for months.
The Indian Navy’s mission to rescue MV Ruen involved the marine commandos, also known as Marcos, who have been active in the anti-piracy missions in the region.
The hijacking of vessels by Somali pirates comes against the backdrop of increased maritime threats in the area, including from the Iran-backed Houthis.
Between 2009 and 2012, the Somali pirates hijacked scores of vessels, sometimes as much as 1,000, away from the Somali coast. Somali piracy activities have slowed in recent years but haven’t ceased entirely.
However, the hijacking of vessels by Somali pirates has once again brought attention to the issue—amid a blockade by Houthis in the Red Sea.
The Houthis have declared their intention to blockade all shipments bound for Israel, in solidarity with Hamas fighters in the Gaza Strip, leading to attacks on cargo vessels linked to Israel, the United States, and their allies. In response, the Indian Navy has bolstered its presence in the Red Sea to counter these assaults and ensure the safety of vital shipping lanes.
The latest rescue mission is the second anti-piracy mission by the Indian Navy this year. In January, the Marcos rescued Liberian-flagged MV Lila Norfolk, rescuing a 21-member crew.
On March 6, the Indian Navy also assisted Barbados-flagged merchant and Greek-operated vessel MV True Confidence, which came under attack of missiles by Houthis.
MV Ruen‘s movement out to sea last week signaled the pirates’ likely intention to use the ship as a launching pad for attacks on other vessels. Somali pirates are known for using larger vessels as “mother ships” for launching assaults far off the coast, Financial Times reported.
The operation unfolded over a tense weekend standoff between the crew of the Indian Navy vessel INS Kolkata and 35 pirates aboard the MV Ruen, during which the pirates opened fire on Indian military personnel.
“The Indian Navy successfully conducted the operation which has been going on since last night. The navy captured 35 pirates and released the MV Ruen Ship, and its crew are safe,” Ahmed Yassin Saleh, minister for ports and maritime transport in Somalia’s semi-autonomous region of Puntland, told Reuters on Saturday.
The Indian Navy is set to take further action against the Somali pirates.
“After it launched a major operation to successfully rescue the crew of MV Ruen in the Arabian Sea, the Indian Navy will bring the 35 Somali pirates, who were involved in hijacking the ship, to India,” Indian media outlet Firstpost reported on Monday.
X/Indian Navy
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