NEW DELHI: The Indian Navy on Monday rendered assistance in evacuating an injured crew member from MV Ruen, the Maltese-flagged merchant vessel hijacked by pirates in the Arabian Sea. The injured, one of the 18 sailors onboard Ruen, is said to be stable now.
“Towards ensuring his safety, the Indian Navy ship (INS Kochi) was successful in ensuring his release by the hijackers in the early hours of December 18, 2023,” Indian Navy said. The injured crew member was initially treated onboard the Indian destroyer INS Kochi, but since he needed urgent medical attention beyond the scope and expertise of the ship’s crew, he has been transferred to a health facility ashore at Oman, the Navy added.
MV Ruen with 18 sailors onboard gave a distress signal on December 14, and indicated that six pirates have boarded the vessel. The Indian Navy became the first responder. The Navy deployed its maritime patrol aircraft P8i to track the movement of the hijacked vessel, which was moving towards the coast of Somalia. After the aircraft located the vessel, the Indian Navy diverted its warship from the Gulf of Aden, and the hijacked vessel was intercepted on Saturday morning.
The overall situation is being closely monitored in coordination with other agencies in the area. The navies of Spain and Japan as well had responded to the situation. Until 2017, ships travelling near Africa were attacked by Somalian pirates, after which various countries put counter-piracy efforts in place.