Indian Navy Recaptures Somali Pirate Ship And Frees Crew

India’s navy has freed the crew of a hijacked ship that Somali pirates were preparing to use as a base for attacks on other vessels, in the most violent incident yet of a recent resurgence of pirate activity off the coast of Somalia. The operation followed a prolonged stand-off over the weekend between the crew of an Indian Navy vessel, INS Kolkata, and 35 pirates on the MV Ruen who opened fire on Indian military personnel.

Click Here To Join Us On WhatsApp 

The Ruen, owned by Bulgarian shipping company Navibulgar, had been seized by pirates in December. After sitting off the coast of Eyl in Somalia for months, the Ruen last week headed further out to sea, leading maritime security experts think the pirates planned to use the vessel as a base for attacks.

omalia’s pirates often use larger vessels as “mother ships” from which to launch assaults hundreds of miles off the coast. India’s navy wrote on Saturday on the social media platform X that it had “successfully cornered and coerced all 35 pirates to surrender and ensured safe evacuation of 17 crew members . . . from the pirate vessel without any injury”. Ambrey, a UK-based maritime security company, said it believed the 17 people freed were the entire remaining crew of the Ruen after one crew member was previously transported home from Somalia for medical reasons.

Click Here To Join Us On WhatsApp 

Maritime security bulletins on Friday had reported the pirates were threatening to kill members of the crew unless the Indian Navy stopped firing at pirates on the Ruen. The navy published online pictures of pirates firing into the air, apparently at its helicopters. The Indian Navy’s action follows the seizure on Thursday of the Abdullah, a Bangladesh-owned bulk carrier, 600 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia. There have been reports in the maritime intelligence community that pirates based on the Ruen might have been involved in that attack.

Somalia’s pirates have resumed attacks in recent months as navies off its coasts have concentrated on combating the threat to ships from Yemen’s Houthis, who have fired missiles at scores of ships. The Iranian-backed Houthis say they are operating in support of Gaza’s Palestinians. The head of the UN’s International Maritime Organization last month told the Financial Times that shipping companies needed to bolster security when transiting waters off Somalia to prevent a return of widescale piracy.

Click Here To Join Us On WhatsApp 

The UK’s Dubai-based Maritime Trade Operations office warned in January that two “pirate action groups” based on hijacked dhows were waiting in international waters hundreds of miles off Somalia’s coast. At the peak of Somalia’s piracy crisis, between 2009 and 2012, Somali pirates were seizing scores of ships annually, some as far as 1,000 nautical miles from Somalia. Activity had all but ceased until recently.

The operation over the weekend marks the second time this year that India’s navy has freed a ship seized by pirates. In January, it successfully freed the bulk carrier Lila Norfolk after pirates briefly took control of the ship. India’s navy has multiple assets deployed in the region to combat both piracy and the threat from the Houthis. “The Indian Navy remains committed to maritime security and safety of seafarers in the region,” it said in a statement.


Next Story :

  • Adani Bribery Case: KTR Demands Telangana Govt To Cancel All Contracts

    Adani Bribery Case: KTR Demands Telangana Govt To Cancel All Contracts

    Hyderabad, Nov 22 (Maxim News): BRS working president KT Rama Rao demanded the Congress government in Telangana to cancel its agreements with the Adani Group, worth Rs 12,400 crore, and return the Rs 100 crore donation made by the group for the Skill University. The demand follows charges of corruption and bribery against industrialist Gautam Adani…


  • Raja Singh Sparks Controversy Again: Advises Ayyappa Devotees’ To Visit Vavar Mosque

    Raja Singh Sparks Controversy Again: Advises Ayyappa Devotees’ To Visit Vavar Mosque

    Hyderabad, Nov 22 (Maxim News): Goshamahal BJP MLA Raja Singh, sparked controversy after advising Ayyappa Swamy devotees not to visit the Vavar mosque of Hazrath Vavarswami Darga and mosque—popularly known as Vavar mosque—when traveling to the Sabarimala Temple in Kerala.


  • Telangana: DCA Cracks Down On Fake Drug Claims For Critical Illness

    Telangana: DCA Cracks Down On Fake Drug Claims For Critical Illness

    Hyderabad, Nov 22 (Maxim News): The Drug Control Administration (DCA), Telangana State seized several drugs that were circulating in the market with misleading claims of treating Cardiovascular disorders, blood pressure, Ophthalmic diseases/disorders, fevers, and diabetes, which is in contravention of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954, a DCA press release said.


  • Three Arrested For Practicing Allopathy In Telangana

    Three Arrested For Practicing Allopathy In Telangana

    Hyderabad, Nov 22 (Maxim News): The drug inspectors of Telangana State Drug Control Administration (TSDCA) conducted raids on the premises of three quacks (unqualified medical practitioners), who were practicing allopathy, at different locations in Telangana State and seized substantial stocks of medicines worth Rs. 83,000, stored illegally for sale.


Now you can get the latest stories from Indtoday on Telegram every day. Click the link to subscribe.  Click to follow Indtoday’s Facebook pageTwitter and Instagram. For all the latest Hyderabad News updates

Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published.