NEW DELHI: India’s External Affairs Minister responded to Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel, who expressed appreciation for the successful rescue operation conducted by the Indian Navy on the hijacked cargo ship MV Ruen in the Arabian Sea. Among the 17 rescued crew members, seven were Bulgarian nationals.
Gabriel acknowledged the Indian Navy’s efforts on social media platform X, saying, “I express my gratitude to the Indian Navy for the successful operation to rescue the hijacked vessel Ruen and its crew members, including seven Bulgarian nationals. Thank you for your support and great effort. We continue to work together to protect the lives of the crew.”
External Affairs Minister of India, reading the words of gratitude from his counterpart, responded concisely, “That’s what friends are for.”
The Indian naval warship, INS Kolkata, successfully undertook the operation on Saturday. The crew persuaded all 35 Somali pirates who had taken control of the vessel in the Arabian Sea to surrender, ensuring the safe evacuation of 17 crew members.
A spokesperson from the Indian Navy shed light on the operation, explaining that the ship was intercepted by their forces earlier on Saturday. This required the intervention of special forces unit, Marine Commando Force (MARCOS), which boarded the vessel.
Providing further clarity, the Navy in a statement said, “INS Kolkata carried out the interception of Pirate Ship Ruen, almost 1,400 nautical miles (2,600km) from the Indian Coast and forced the pirate ship to halt through measured actions. These were augmented by INS Subhadra, HALE RPA, P8I maritime patrol aircraft, and MARCOS PRAHARs air-dropped by a C-17 aircraft.”
The Indian Air Force (IAF) also participated and after the successful operation, released photos and a video on Sunday showcasing the joint execution with the Indian Navy in the Arabian Sea.
On December 14, Somali pirates hijacked the Maltese-flagged bulk cargo vessel. They opened fire on the Indian Navy in international waters on Friday. The navy promptly responded by asking the pirates to surrender and release the vessel and any civilians they might be detaining. (BT)
