PM Modi's reply after Bulgarian president lauds ‘brave’ Indian Navy for ‘MV Ruen’ rescue operation

Pirates detained by the Indian navy during a rescue operation for the hijacked ship MV Ruen sit on the deck in this handout image released on March 16, 2024.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said India is committed to protecting freedom of navigation and combating piracy and terrorism in the Indian Ocean region after Bulgarian President Rumen Radev thanked him for the Indian Navy rescuing his country’s ship and crew.

Rumen Radev had posted on X (formally Twitter), “My sincere gratitude to PM Narendra Modi for the brave action of India Navy rescuing the hijacked Bulgarian ship ‘Ruen’ and its crew, including seven Bulgarian citizens.”

In his reply, Modi said he appreciated the message.

“We are happy that seven Bulgarian nationals are safe and will be returning home soon. India is committed to protecting freedom of navigation and combating piracy and terrorism in the Indian Ocean region,” Modi added.

Earler on Sunday, Bulgaria’s deputy prime minister also thanked India, Modi, and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for successfully rescuing the hijacked vessel MV Ruen.

“I express my gratitude to the navy for the successful operation to rescue the hijacked vessel Ruen &its crew members, including 7 BG nationals. Thank you for support &great effort. We continue to work together to protect lives of the crew,” Bulgarian minister Mariya Gabriel posted on X. ‘That’s what friends are for,” Jaishankar replied.

The Indian Navy on Saturday made 35 pirates to surrender and successfully rescued the MV Ruen, which Somali pirates had seized on December 14 last year. The hijacking of the Bulgaria-owned MV Ruen marked the first instance of Somali pirates boarding a cargo vessel since 2017. All crew members were safely rescued on Saturday without any injuries.

How the Indian Navy carried out the operation

The Indian Navy said that INS Kolkata spearheaded the operation. The Navy employed its P-8I maritime patrol aircraft, alongside frontline ships INS Kolkata and INS Subhadra, and a high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial vehicle. On Saturday, the Indian Air Force’s C-17 aircraft conducted a precise airdrop of two boats alongside Indian Navy MARCOS in the Arabian Sea to support the ongoing anti-piracy mission ‘Operation Sankalp’.

During the 40-hour rescue operation, INS Kolkata intercepted the pirate ship MV Ruen, which was under attack, nearly 2600 km away from the Indian Coast. Through strategic manoeuvres, INS Kolkata compelled the pirate ship to halt its course.

“INS Kolkata, a mission deployed in the Arabian Sea, through the sustained high tempo of operations, has thwarted the designs of the Somali pirates to hijack ships transiting through the region by intercepting the pirate ship MV Ruen, on March 16. The merchant vessel had been hijacked in December 2023 and was under the control of the Somalian Pirates till now,” the Indian Navy statement read.

The Indian navy has been monitoring the MV Ruen since Somali pirates seized it 380 nautical miles east of Yemen’s Socotra island in December. At that time, the pirates released one injured Bulgarian sailor to the Indian Navy.

They then took the MV Ruen and its 17 crew members to Somalia’s semi-autonomous state of Puntland, where the Indian navy reported it was anchored near Bosaso.

(With ANI inputs)

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