Indian Navy releases visuals of dramatic rescue operation in Arabian Sea

The Indian Navy on 17th March released photos and visuals of MARCOS commandos rescuing 17 crews on board the hijacked merchant vessel Ruen and coercing 35 Somalian pirates into surrender in the Arabian Sea.

On 15th March, the navy had intercepted the ship, which had been hijacked in December 2023 and was under the control of the Somalian Pirates. 

The Navy said that it received information during routine surveillance and was able to track the moment of MV Ruen. It then directed INS Kolkata to intercept the ship approximately off Somalian coast.

"Kolkata intercepted Ruen in the morning of 15 Mar 24, and confirmed the presence of armed pirates through a ship-launched drone," it said in a statement.

"In a reckless hostile act, the pirates shot down the drone and fired at the Indian Naval warship. In a calibrated response iaw International Laws, Kolkata disabled the ship's steering system and navigational aids, forcing the Pirate Ship to stop," it added.

"INS Kolkata undertook precisely measured actions while maintaining her position close to the Pirate Ship and also engaged in forceful negotiations, which resulted in the Pirates surrendering and releasing the pirate ship MV Ruen and its original crew present onboard," it said. 

The navy said it would assess the seaworthiness of Ruen and will safely bring the vessel to India which is carrying 37,800 tonnes of cargo estimated at around 1 million dollars.