Indian Navy rescues ship from Somali pirates

The Bulgarian-owned cargo ship MV Ruen was hijacked in December 2023, the first time since 2017 that a cargo ship has been successfully hijacked by Somali pirates.

People on board the MV Ruen gather on deck as an Indian Navy helicopter monitors from above - Photo: Guardian

The Indian Navy said its destroyer Kolkata “in the last 40 hours, through coordinated actions, successfully subdued and forced all 35 pirates to surrender and ensured safe evacuation of 17 crew members.”

The Indian Navy intercepted the MV Ruen on Friday (March 15) nearly 1,400 nautical miles off the Indian coast and encountered resistance from the pirates. “The pirates on board opened fire on the warship which was taking action [in accordance with] international law, in self-defence and against piracy,” an Indian Navy spokesperson said.

None of the crew were injured in the rescue. Bulgarian owner Navibulgar hailed the rescue of the MV Ruen as “a great success not only for us but for the entire global maritime community… The resolution of this incident demonstrates that the security of commercial shipping will not be compromised.”

The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry said it was expecting the “speedy return” of seven of its citizens rescued. The remaining crew included nine Myanmar nationals and one Angolan.

The Indian Navy has been tracking the MV Ruen since it was seized by Somali pirates 380 nautical miles east of Yemen's Socotra Island.

The pirates, who at that time released a wounded Bulgarian sailor, took the MV Ruen and its 17 remaining crew members to Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland state, where the ship was anchored until it set sail again and was seized by the Indian Navy.

Quang Anh (according to Guardian)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/hai-quan-an-do-giai-cuu-tau-khoi-tay-cuop-bien-somalia-post288238.html