In a daring 40-hour operation, the Indian Navy successfully coerced 35 Somali pirates to surrender and rescued 17 crew members held hostage on a hijacked ship, the Navy said in a statement. Indian warship INS Kolkata sailed over 2,600 km and cornered the bulk cargo vessel Ruen, which was being used as a pirate ship for three months after it was hijacked on December 14.
The high-stakes rescue involved multiple Navy vessels, drones, aircraft, and marine commandos. After being attacked on Friday, Navy switched its stance to self-defense and demanded the pirates surrender and release the hostages. On Saturday, the Navy successfully took control of the ship with support from patrol vessel INS Subhadra, High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE RPA) drones, and P8I maritime patrol aircraft.
A squad of 8 marine commandos (MARCOS PRAHARs) were then airdropped by a C-17 aircraft onto the vessel to detain the pirates and safely evacuate the crew. No injuries were sustained during the operation, the Navy said, adding that the ship had been checked for illegal arms, ammunition, and contraband.
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