A spokesperson for the Indian Navy, on Saturday, confirmed that the Maltese cargo-ship Ruen has been recovered, as seen in the news publication, Reuters.
The Ruen cargo ship, a bulk carrier built in 2016, which is currently sailing under the flag of Malta was hijacked by Somali pirates on December 14, 2023.
The Navy spokesperson said that the pirates who reportedly hijacked the Maltese-flagged bulk cargo tanker on December 14, opened fire on the naval ship in international seas on Friday.
The pirates were warned by the navy to turn themselves in and release the ship and any hostages they might be holding, after which the ship was retrieved.
According to the European Union naval forces, the Somali pirates who captured the ship in December may have used it to gain control of a Bangladesh-flagged cargo ship off the coast of Somalia this week.
Up until the Maltese cargo ship was stolen, no merchant ship had been successfully hijacked by Somali pirates since 2017.
Since December, the Indian Navy has logged at least 17 occurrences of hijacking, attempted hijacking, or suspicious approaches, according to Indian officials.
