1 month ago
Last Updated: March 16, 2024, 18:42 IST
Arabian Sea
People with weapons stand onboard the Maltese-flagged bulk cargo vessel Ruen seized by Somali pirates, which was intercepted by the Indian Navy. (Image: Indian Navy/Reuters)
The Indian Navy has told the Somali pirates to surrender and release hostages, if they are holding any.
The Indian Navy has intercepted the hijacked cargo ship MV Ruen and has told the Somali pirates on board to surrender, a spokesperson from the Indian Navy said. The special forces of the Indian Navy, Marine Commando Force aka MARCOS, were boarding the vessel, navy officials said.
The Somalian pirates who hijacked the Maltese-flagged bulk cargo vessel on December 14 opened fire on the Indian Navy in international waters on Friday. The navy has told the pirates to surrender and release the vessel and any civilians they may be holding.
The pirates are possibly holding 17 crew members hostage and has released one for medical reasons.
The Somali pirates may have used the merchant vessel to take over a Bangladesh-flagged cargo ship off the coast of Somalia this week, the European Union naval force said on Thursday. Somali pirates have not been able to successfully hijack a merchant ship since 2017. That was until the Ruen was seized.
At least 17 incidents of hijacking, attempted hijacking or suspicious approaches have been recorded by the Indian navy since December, officials said. India deployed at least a dozen warships east of the Red Sea in January to provide security against pirates and has investigated more than 250 vessels.
Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has o
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