An Indian naval warship was fired upon after it intercepted the hijacked
Maltese-flagged bulk cargo vessel — MV Ruen — in the high seas off the east coast
of Somalia, a spokesperson for the Indian Navy said on Saturday.

The vessel, which was hijacked by Somali pirates on December 14 and was intercepted by the navy the day after, is reported to have sailed out from Somalian waters and was being used as a pirate ship.

“The vessel opened fire on the warship, which is taking actions in accordance with international law, in self defence and to counter piracy, with minimal force necessary to neutralise the pirates’ threat to shipping and seafarers. The pirates onboard the vessel have been called upon to surrender and release the vessel and any civilians they may be holding against their will,” the navy said on Saturday.

The pirates were reportedly holding 17 crew members hostage and had released one for medical reasons. Sources said the Indian Navy has established communication with the crew aboard the ship. The crew consists of citizens from Angola, Myanmar and Bulgaria.

“As per the information given by the crew, there are a large number of pirates present on the vessel. The navy’s marine commandos MARCOS established communication with pirates and wanted them to surrender,” a navy official said.

The official added: “If the pirates don’t surrender, the navy has given permission to commandos to take action against them.”

Later in the evening, the navy said in a statement that INS Kolkata had successfully cornered and coerced all 35 pirates to surrender and ensured the safe evacuation of 17 crew members from the pirate vessel. The vessel has also been sanitised for the presence of illegal arms, ammunition and contraband.

The latest incident comes amid growing global concerns over attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, particularly by Houthi militants.