External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
(AP photo)
Indian Navy warship INS Kolkata successfully coerced all 35 Somali pirates, who had hijacked a vessel in the Arabian Sea to surrender, and ensured the safe evacuation of 17 crew members on Saturday
External Affairs Minister of India responded to his Bulgarian counterpart Mariya Gabriel after she expressed gratitude for the rescue operation carried out by the Indian Navy on the hijacked the cargo ship MV Ruen in the Arabian Sea. Among the 17 crew members who were rescued from the vessel, 7 mere Bulgarian nationals.
Garbriel, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria, took to X and said, “I express my gratitude to the Indian navy for the successful operation to rescue the hijacked vessel Ruen &its crew members, including 7 BG nationals. Thank you for support & great effort. We continue to work together to protect lives of the crew.”
Responding to the post, EAM Jaishankar said, “That’s what friends are for.”
Indian Navy warship INS Kolkata successfully coerced all 35 Somali pirates, who had hijacked a vessel in the Arabian Sea to surrender, and ensured the safe evacuation of 17 crew members on Saturday.
Earlier in the day, the Indian Navy intercepted the hijacked cargo ship MV Ruen and 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, had boarded the vessel, navy officials said.
An Indian Navy statement read, “INS Kolkata had carried out the interception of the Pirate Ship Ruen almost 1,400 nm (2,600km) from the Indian Coast and forced the pirate ship to stop through calibrated actions which were augmented by INS Subhadra, HALE RPA, P8I maritime patrol aircraft and MARCOS PRAHARs air-dropped by C-17 aircraft.”
The Indian Air Force (IAF) also released photos and a video on Sunday showing a joint operation with the Indian Navy in the Arabian Sea following the successful operation.
The Somalian pirates, who had hijacked the Maltese-flagged bulk cargo vessel on December 14, opened fire on the Indian Navy in international waters on Friday. The navy had asked the pirates to surrender and release the vessel and any civilians they may be holding.
