An Indian warship patrolling the western Arabian Sea faced an attack on Friday from Somali pirates aboard a hijacked merchant vessel, prompting a self-defence response from the Indian Navy. The navys action led to the surrender of the pirates and the release of hostages they were holding captive for three months. This dramatic event unfolded 700 nautical miles away from the Indian coast, involving a 40-hour operation that included elite marine commandos being air-dropped by a C-17 aircraft.The hijacked vessel, MV Ruen, had been utilized by the pirates as a base for targeting ships in the open seas. The navy clarified that their warship responded with minimal force necessary under international law to neutralize the pirates threat and protect shipping and seafarers.In a remarkable display of coordinated efforts, INS Kolkata spearheaded the operation, effectively coercing all 35 pirates to surrender. This led to the safe evacuation of 17 crew members from the pirate ship on Saturday evening, all without any injuries reported. The navys actions were carried out at a considerable distance from the Indian coast, around 1400 nautical miles, with the support of INS Subhadra, a remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), a P8-I maritime patrol aircraft, and marine commandos dropped by a C-17 aircraft.The navys thorough response included sanitizing the pirate vessel for illegal arms, ammunition, and contraband, ensuring a complete neutralization of the piracy threat. This incident underscores the ongoing challenges of piracy in the Arabian Sea region, prompting the Indian Navy to enhance surveillance efforts and deploy task groups comprising multiple warships.Recent attacks on merchant vessels heading towards India, along with the resurgence of piracy activities, have prompted heightened vigilance in the Arabian Sea. The Indian Navy has successfully foiled numerous piracy attempts in the region in recent months and has also intervened in distress situations involving merchant ships targeted by missiles and drones launched by Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
