Resolved to reinforcing peace in IOR: Indian Navy after seizing hijacked ship

New Delhi: A day after capturing 35 Somali pirates and freeing 17 hostages held by them in a dramatic operation, the Indian Navy on Sunday said the action reflects its resolve to reinforcing peace and stability in the Indian Ocean and thwarting the resurgence of piracy in the region.

In a statement, the Navy said the seaworthiness of MV Ruen is being assessed and the vessel carrying approximately 37,800 tonnes of cargo worth around USD 1 million will be brought safely to India.

“The culmination of the ongoing anti-piracy operation involving pirate ship Ruen in the Southern Indian Ocean Region highlights the commitment of the Indian Navy towards reinforcing peace and stability, and also to thwart the resurgence of piracy in the region,” it said.

The Navy has deployed more than 10 warships to keep a vigil over the strategic waterways following increasing attacks on cargo vessels in the Red Sea by Houthi-backed militants.

In the midst of rising global concerns over the Houthi attacks, the Indian Ocean saw increasing incidents of piracy.

In the last few weeks, the Indian Navy assisted several merchant vessels in the Western Indian Ocean following attacks on them.

The Indian Navy, earlier this month, foiled a piracy attempt on an Iranian-flagged fishing vessel with a crew of 11 Iranian and eight Pakistani nationals along the East coast of Somalia.

In January, Indian warship INS Sumitra rescued 19 Pakistani crew of a fishing vessel after pirates on the east coast of Somalia attacked their Iranian-flagged fishing vessel.

The Navy on January 5 thwarted an attempted hijacking of Liberian-flagged vessel MV Lila Norfolk in the North Arabian Sea and rescued all its crew members.

Liberian-flagged vessel MV Chem Pluto, with 21 Indian crew members, was the target of a drone attack off India’s west coast on December 23. The Navy has already enhanced the deployment of its frontline ships and surveillance aircraft for maritime security operations given the maritime environment in the critical sea lanes, including the North and Central Arabian Sea.

There have been mounting global concerns over Houthi militants launching a series of attacks on cargo

vessels in the Red Sea in the last few months.