The Indian Navy destroyer INS Kolkata will return to India with 35 captured pirates after a 40-hour operation in the Arabian Sea.
“The Indian Navy warship INS Kolkata has taken 35 sea pirates into custody and is being brought to India along with the 17 crew members rescued after the major operation,” officials stated on Sunday.
On Saturday, the Indian Navy rescued 17 crew members from the MV Ruen, a troubled commerce vessel, and forced the pirates to surrender during the operation. Additionally, the merchant vessel is being shipped to India.
The MV Ruen, which is transporting about 37,800 tons of cargo, had its seaworthiness evaluated in the early hours of March 17. Its estimated value is one million dollars.
The big high-seas operation on Saturday resulted in the rescue of the hijacked merchant vessel Ruen and her 17-member crew, as well as the paradropping of marine commandos from a C-17 aircraft and an exchange of gunfire. The Navy is currently transporting the 35 Somali pirates under its custody to India.
The pirates will face legal action in this country under Indian law for using the MV Ruen as a “mother pirate ship” to target other commercial ships in the area. During the operation, the pirates even shot down a tiny spotter drone that was flown in from the destroyer INS Kolkata.
By intercepting the pirate ship MV Ruen on Saturday, INS Kolkata, which is mission-deployed in the Arabian Sea, prevented the Somali pirates from their plans to take over ships passing through the area. The activities lasted for more than 40 hours at a high tempo. The Indian Navy apprehended the merchant vessel on Friday after it had been taken over by Somali pirates since December 2023.
As part of its Maritime Security Operations, the Indian Navy has been conducting widespread surveillance throughout the area, including keeping an eye on activity in Areas of Interest. The Indian Navy tracked the path of the pirate ship Ruen and instructed INS Kolkata to intercept it about 260 nautical miles east of Somalia based on the analysis of the surveillance data.
“In the early hours of March 15, INS Kolkata encountered Ruen and used a ship-launched drone to establish the presence of armed pirates. The pirates fired at the Indian Naval ships after shooting down the drone in a careless and unfriendly move. The Ministry of Defence claimed in an official statement that Kolkata “disabled the ship’s steering system and navigational aids in a calibrated response in accordance with international laws, forcing the Pirate Ship to stop.”
The pirates surrendered and released the pirate ship MV Ruen together with its original crew after INS Kolkata participated in strong discussions and made precisely calculated moves while staying near the pirate ship.
The deployment of INS Subhadra in the region AM on March 16 and the airdrop of the Marine Commandos (PRAHARS) by C-17 aircraft that same afternoon both strengthened the Indian Navy’s operations in the current anti-piracy operation 1400 nm (2600 km) from mainland India.
Furthermore, HALE RPA and P8I maritime reconnaissance aircraft monitored the pirate vessel. The Indian Navy applied constant pressure over the course of the last forty hours, and as a result, all 35 Somali pirates turned themselves in on March 16.
Additionally, all 17 of the original crew members of the MV Ruen were securely and unharmed removed from the pirate ship. Additionally, the ship has been sanitized to remove any potential unlawful weapons, ammo, or contraband.
The MV Ruen will be transported safely to India after its seaworthiness was evaluated early on March 17. The ship is transporting about 37,800 tonnes of goods valued at about $1 million.
