© ReutersPeople with weapons standing onboard the Maltese-flagged bulk cargo vessel Ruen, seized by Somali pirates and then intercepted by the Indian Navy, on March 16, 2024.
Indian naval forces including special commandos seized a cargo vessel that had been hijacked by Somali pirates, rescuing 17 crew members, a spokesperson for the navy said on March 16.
The navy said in a post on social media platform X that
all 35 pirates aboard the ship, the Maltese-flagged bulk cargo vessel Ruen, had surrendered, and the ship had been checked for the presence of illegal arms, ammunition and contraband.
The
Ruen had been hijacked in 2023 and the navy said it had intercepted the vessel on March 15. The vessel may have been used as the base for the takeover of a Bangladesh-flagged cargo ship off the coast of Somalia earlier this week, the European Union naval force said.
The hijacking of the Ruen was the first successful takeover of a vessel involving Somali pirates since 2017, when a crackdown by international navies stopped a rash of seizures in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
Somali pirates had caused chaos in important global waterways for a decade but had been dormant until a resurgence of attacks starting late in 2023.
India deploys at least a dozen warships east of the Red Sea to provide security against pirates as Western powers focus on attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis.
At least 17 incidents of hijacking, attempted hijacking and suspicious approaches had been recorded by the Indian Navy since Dec 1, Indian officials previously said.
Comment: Meanwhile, a half-globe away, China's Coast Guard is seen in Taiwan's 'prohibited waters':
Chinese Coast Guard vessels have entered what Taiwan calls "prohibited waters" near the Kinmen Islands, effectively controlled by Taiwan. Taiwan's media say it is the first time China Coast Guard ships, which fall under the command of the country's military, have entered the waters.
The Coast Guard reported on its website on Friday that it conducted patrols in waters near the islands based on Chinese law. It posted a photograph of the area with a red line indicating a shipping route. Local Taiwan media said four China Coast Guard vessels entered the prohibited waters for the first time. Earlier in February, a Chinese marine surveillance vessel was also spotted in the region.
China is demanding that Taiwan apologize and take responsibility for a mishap involving a Chinese fishing boat off the Kinmen Islands on February 14. Two Chinese fishers died after their boat capsized while being pursued by Taiwan's coast guard.
The China Coast Guard has announced that it will continue to strengthen its patrols for law enforcement, suggesting further Chinese navigation within the waters. China is mounting pressure on Taiwan's government led by the Democratic Progressive Party.
Comment: Meanwhile, a half-globe away, China's Coast Guard is seen in Taiwan's 'prohibited waters':