The merchant ship Ron has been hijacked by Somali pirates since December 14 (Reuters)
The Indian Navy said on Saturday that its ship intercepted a Maltese-flagged cargo ship hijacked by Somali pirates and demanded its surrender.
An Indian Navy spokesman said that the pirates, who were reported to have hijacked the "Ruen" ship, which was carrying goods and flying the Maltese flag on December 14, opened fire on the Indian Navy ship in international waters yesterday, Friday.
He pointed out that the Indian Navy demanded that the pirates surrender and release the ship and any civilians on board who may be detained by them.
On Thursday, a European Union naval force said that the Somali pirates who seized the ship Ruin may have used it to seize a cargo ship flying the Bangladeshi flag off the coast of Somalia last week.
The Indian Navy has monitored 17 attempts to hijack commercial ships since last December (French)
It is noteworthy that the activity of Somali pirates has declined significantly in recent years, as no hijackings of commercial ships have been recorded since 2017 until the piracy of the ship "Ruen".
Indian officials said that the Indian Navy has recorded at least 17 incidents of hijacking or attempted hijacking of commercial ships since last December.
India deployed about 12 warships in the eastern Red Sea last January to provide security in light of escalating fears of pirate attacks, and also conducted inspections of more than 250 ships.
Source: Reuters